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
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
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daydreaming
Noun
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Wendy slips into a trance state and begins to channel Lizzo.—
Allison P. Davis,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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John whistles an old tune, a fragile attempt to break her trance.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And for a senior-laden Peabody team dreaming of a deep run in the state tournament, this was certainly a step in the right direction.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Ann Lee’s impoverished childhood in Manchester is spent dreaming of service to God while feeling revulsion at the physical facts of life.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For now, the study provides proof of concept.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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Edelman and his wife, Michelle Edelman – a trailblazer in art and design who has led Traffic Creative Management and TrafficArts since 1996 – acquired Martins’ first study titled Watchman (2018), recognizing a powerful force in the global art world.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ceiling murals in both rooms have been partly worn or scraped away, leaving a dreamy abstract pattern.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
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The upside, however, to sitting through this questionable season of what has been a mostly dreamy series?—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After learning her daughter will not return to Chile, however, she is forced to stop fantasizing about others’ lives and find comfort in unexpected places.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2025
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For something completely different, some investors have been picking up value stocks rather than fantasizing about the possibilities of Silicon Valley’s dream world.—
John Navin,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Designers leaned into loose, chemise-style dresses that evoked a European countryside sensibility (cue the daydream of wandering through a field of lilacs).—
Jalil Johnson,
Refinery29,
13 Aug. 2025
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Ellen retreats to her room and daydreams of her father, who understood his headstrong daughter.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After the orchestra launches in with a full flaring sound, the cello takes the lead on a sweet, almost pensive solo.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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The video begins with Grint's pensive walk home from prison after serving time for stalking, and images of Sheeran flood his memory and sight.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Yet, at several of the city’s top hotels, staffs have been hard at work, completing room upgrades, re-envisioning their food and beverage outlets and crafting inventive experiences.—
Carolyn Heller,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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But others immediately began envisioning the catastrophic potentials of the scientific creation of bizarre new forms of biology.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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