dreamer
/ˈdriː.mər/ (bre, ipa) · [drˈimɚ] /ˈdriː.mɚ/ (ame, ipa) · [drˈimɚ] /ˈdrē-mər/ (ame, mw)
dreamer — noun
- dreamersingular
- dreamersplural
1. someone who often fills their mind with fanciful or ambitious ideas and pictures
someone who often fills their mind with fanciful or ambitious ideas and pictures that have little connection to real life or practical action.
Iris was such a dreamer that she spent class time sketching imaginary islands.
such a dreamer + that-clause for result
"You are a dreamer," said the manager when Rodrigo promised to finish in one week.
dreamer + quoted speech for calling out impracticality
The novel follows a young dreamer who leaves her village to become a dancer.
Rodrigo's friends called him a dreamer for always talking about starting a space company.
Lan's parents worried her dreamer personality would make a steady job hard to keep.
- idealist
more positive; focuses on high principles rather than fanciful imagination
- visionary
admiring; suggests original ideas that may later prove valuable
- daydreamer
more informal; emphasises inattention to surroundings
- fantasist
formal and often dismissive; suggests habitually inventing unreal stories
- realist
someone guided by facts and practical considerations
- pragmatist
someone focused on what works rather than what is ideal
文法句型
dreamer + of + noun (dreamer of peace)
such a dreamer + that-clause
用法筆記
Commonly carries a mildly disapproving or teasing tone in everyday conversation, though it can be admiring when applied to artists, inventors, or activists whose visions challenge current limits.
常見錯誤
2. a person who experiences images, sounds, or feelings in their mind while asleep.
a person who experiences images, sounds, or feelings in their mind while asleep.
Asher woke up with a shout and told his roommate he was a loud dreamer.
dreamer modified by adjective describing sleep behaviour
A dreamer's brain is nearly as active during sleep as when the person is awake.
Karim is a calm dreamer who never talks or moves much during sleep.
Researchers used special machines to study the dreamers' rapid eye movements.
- sleeper
broader; does not specify dreaming — just a person who is asleep
- REM sleeper
technical; a person in the stage of sleep associated with vivid dreams
文法句型
adjective + dreamer (vivid dreamer, light dreamer)
dreamer + of + noun (dreamer of flying)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies only when the person is literally asleep. Context typically includes words such as sleep, bed, dream, woke, or rapid eye movement.
常見錯誤
3. someone who arrived in the US during childhood without the documents required fo
someone who arrived in the US during childhood without the documents required for legal residence and who has grown up there without immigration status.
Diya, a DREAMer who arrived in Texas at age four, shared her story publicly.
appositive: named person + DREAMer + relative clause
The new law could give thousands of DREAMers a path to permanent residency.
thousands of DREAMers + path to [status]
Nearly six hundred thousand DREAMers live in the US under temporary protection.
Hoa applied for DACA status soon after graduating from high school in California.
- undocumented youth
broader; includes young people in similar situations outside the US
- DACA recipient
narrower; refers specifically to those protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme
文法句型
DREAMer as proper noun
number + of + DREAMers
用法筆記
Always written with a capital D and often capitalised fully (DREAMer) to reflect the acronym origin. The term carries significant political weight in US immigration debates and is preferred by advocates over terms such as illegal immigrant.