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
-
Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where UFC ring girl Chrissy Blair put America in a trance to celebrate the big 2-5-0.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Scary Movie included joking references to both the creepy Aunt Gladys character, as well as the famous scene of all the kids running off in the middle of the night — except the kids in Scary Movie are running from accidental weed candies at Halloween instead of a trance.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Muncy has a cushy matchup and dreamy hitting conditions tonight.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
With just a dozen rooms and suites, Pine Cay is one of the archipelago's dreamiest resorts.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Spain desperately needs a win to get its World Cup back on track while another good performance from Saudi Arabia — unbeaten in its last three games — would have the Arabian Falcons dreaming of a spot in the knockout stage.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Jill wasn’t a chef but a television writer trapped in an all-male writers room — dreaming of a job at none other than Shondaland.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The one that really makes Ivanka and Jared daydream is located off shore, across the Bay of Vlorë, between the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea, in the Strait of Otranto that separates Albania from Italy.—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
The heady scent—a mix of white florals, amber, and sandalwood—induces daydreams of tanning on a white-sand beach.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
For Waititi, the film has lots of comedic parts while retaining the pensive beauty of the original text.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
18 June 2026
-
Or a mature, pensive Robin Hood, by Sean Connery.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Waddingham is less enthused about the idea of Ted (played by Sudeikis) and Rebecca hooking up, despite some of the fan base fantasizing about the prospect.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 May 2026
-
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 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
Verb
-
Part of the fun of this years-long project for the creatives was re-envisioning their placement.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Architectural Digest,
11 June 2026
-
Experts from around the globe are already busy envisioning creative applications for artificial intelligence in space.—
Michael P. Dempsey,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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