as in trance
the state of being lost in thought
if you're bored while traveling, daydreaming is a perfectly normal state to be in, regardless of what the road signs say
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as in dreaming
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Recent Examples of daydreaming
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
But across the rest of the record, whether retelling or daydreaming, Hawke maintains a writerly attention to assonance and rhyme.
—Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
No amount of daydreaming would have been able to replace the knowledge that Lenny could have shared.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
But across the rest of the record, whether retelling or daydreaming, Hawke maintains a writerly attention to assonance and rhyme.
—Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daydreaming
Noun
-
Pulling us into a trance-like state.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
-
Throughout much of Buddhist history, and particularly in Theravada Buddhist contexts, mindfulness and its associated meditation methods have been the purview of mendicants (monks and nuns), who used mindfulness meditation to achieve trance states (jhana) leading to nirvana.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every kid grows up dreaming of playing on their hometown team in a big playoff game, stepping up in the most crucial of moments.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
Eric Nadel grew up in Brooklyn dreaming of becoming the voice of the Rangers.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Nina, Karen and Caroline started appearing in my daydreams, full of vigor and life lessons.—
Jennifer Acker,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
Some stories plant deep in your creative brain and come out through songs heard on the radio and random daydreams in the shower.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
An afternoon stroll with Oscar (Diego Calva), who begins as Arlo’s social worker and becomes Peter’s love interest, is invitingly honey-colored in the sunlight, while a druggy nightclub hookup devolves into a dreamy blur of body parts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
The brand expanded into fragrance with its Best of Beauty-winning Honey Infused Hair Perfumes in several dreamy scents, including classic Wildflower Honey, floral Wild Rose, and vibrant Lavender Berry.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bookie & The Bruiser is set in 1959 New York City and features a pensive Jewish fellow named Rivner (James) and an oversized Italian-American tough named Boscolo (Vaughn).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
-
His 2025 tape, WOMB, embodied this through his pensive grumbles over wispy vocal chops; each bar that cut through the fog was steeped in sober gravitas.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 36-year-old blueliner heads into the Ducks’ second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights envisioning the possibility of a playoff run.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
In 1866, Howells had been able to recognize the connection between ending slavery, envisioning equality, and the broadest expression of the American idea.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unabsorbed calcium leaves the body through stool, and absorbed calcium that isn't needed may be filtered by the kidneys and leave in urine—often within about a day.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.—
Ambuj Tewari,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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