dreaming
dreaming — noun
- dreamingsingular
- dreamingsplural
1. the activity in which your mind produces a connected series of thoughts, picture
the activity in which your mind produces a connected series of thoughts, pictures, or feelings while you are asleep
Ritu often wakes up exhausted because her dreaming is so vivid every night.
collocation: vivid dreaming
Scientists believe that dreaming helps the brain sort through memories from the day.
pattern: dreaming helps [verb]
After a stressful week, Niran found that his dreaming became more frequent and intense.
Some cultures have special traditions about the meaning of dreaming and its connection to the spirit world.
Abigail keeps a notebook by her bed to write down whatever she remembers from her dreaming.
2. the activity of thinking about something you want very much even though it is un
the activity of thinking about something you want very much even though it is unlikely to happen, such as getting a certain job, travelling somewhere, or owning something special
For Noa, dreaming of becoming a pilot was what kept her studying through high school.
pattern: dreaming of [goal]
There is nothing wrong with dreaming if you still keep your feet on the ground.
The Watanabe family's dreaming about a beach house turned into a real plan after years of saving.
Eri told her friends that dreaming about a better future helped her get through difficult times.
Hamza believes that dreaming is the first step toward making anything possible.
用法筆記
Often used with 'of' or 'about' to specify the desired thing. Frequently appears in phrases like 'dreaming of a better life' or 'dreaming about the future'.
常見錯誤
3. a real-life outcome where a long-held hope, previously considered nearly out of
a real-life outcome where a long-held hope, previously considered nearly out of reach, surprisingly becomes a reality
Winning the scholarship felt like dreaming turned into reality for Heloísa and her parents.
pattern: dreaming turned into reality
When the small bakery offered Maeve her first full-time job, she called it dreaming come true.
The family saw their years of hard work pay off, and they described the result as pure dreaming.
For Lotte, meeting her favorite author was the kind of dreaming that usually stays in fairy tales.
- miracle
stronger — suggests supernatural or divine intervention
用法筆記
This sense is often used in fixed expressions like 'dreaming (come) true' or 'like a dream' rather than as a free-standing description. The headword itself is less common as a bare noun for this meaning — the countable noun 'dream' is more typical.
常見錯誤
4. a situation or experience that is so perfectly suited to what someone wants or c
a situation or experience that is so perfectly suited to what someone wants or could imagine that it feels almost too good to be real — for example, a perfect holiday, an ideal object someone has always dreamed of owning, or a scenario that matches a person's highest hopes
Felix said the holiday in Japan was absolute dreaming from start to finish.
informal: absolute dreaming
The chef described working in that kitchen as pure dreaming — every detail was exactly right.
collocation: pure dreaming
For Nala, owning a tiny cabin by the lake and writing novels all day would be pure dreaming.
Abigail told her roommate that the apartment with the roof garden was basically her idea of complete dreaming.
- perfection
more formal and neutral; lacks the emotional wonder of 'dreaming'
- bliss
focuses on personal happiness rather than external excellence
- ideal
more neutral and objective; 'dreaming' carries emotional desire
- nightmare
opposite extreme — a terrible situation
用法筆記
Typically used after the verb 'be' in expressions like 'this is dreaming', 'that was total dreaming'. The nuance can tilt either toward objective perfection ('the holiday was absolute dreaming') or toward personal desire ('a cabin by the lake would be pure dreaming'), but both share the core idea of an ideally suited scenario. The countable noun 'dream' (e.g., 'That car is a dream') is far more common in everyday English.
dreaming — adjective
- dreamingpositive
- more dreamingcomparative
- most dreamingsuperlative
1. describing something that is so perfectly suited to what someone wants that it s
describing something that is so perfectly suited to what someone wants that it seems to come from their imagination — used about homes, jobs, holidays, or other desirable things that are exactly what a person would choose
Rania bought twenty magazines to find pictures of her dreaming kitchen before the renovation.
attributive use: dreaming kitchen
After years in an office, the gardening job was his dreaming career, even with a lower salary.
The brochure showed a dreaming landscape with mountains, a river, and a wooden cottage.
Felix finally found the dreaming apartment — two bedrooms, big windows, and a quiet street.
Lotte described the weekend break as the dreaming escape she had needed for months.
文法句型
dreaming + noun
用法筆記
Very close in meaning to the attributive use of the noun 'dream' (e.g., 'dream house', 'dream job'). 'Dreaming' as an adjective is less standard but appears in informal, often vivid writing. The noun 'dream' used attributively is far more common and sounds more natural to most native speakers.
常見錯誤
dreaming — verb
- dreamingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dreamings3rd person singular
- dreaminging-ing form
- dreamingedpast simple
1. to experience imagined scenes and situations that appear during sleep, often inv
to experience imagined scenes and situations that appear during sleep, often involving people or places you know
Hamza dreams about flying over the city almost every night.
pattern: dream about + noun
Last night Noa dreamed that she was swimming in a river made of orange juice.
pattern: dream + that-clause
The little girl woke up crying and told her mother she had dreamed of a giant wolf.
Ritu says she almost never dreams, or at least she does not remember anything in the morning.
The patient told the doctor that he kept dreaming the same strange scene every single week.
文法句型
dream
dream + about + noun
dream + of + noun
dream + that-clause
用法筆記
For this sense, 'dream about' is far more common than 'dream of' in everyday speech. 'Dream of' can sound slightly more literary. The that-clause pattern is common: 'She dreamed that someone was calling her name.'
常見錯誤
2. to incorrectly believe that something happened, was said, or was real, when it d
to incorrectly believe that something happened, was said, or was real, when it did not actually happen — used when you realize your memory or perception was wrong
Eri thought she had turned off the oven, but when she got home she must have been dreaming.
pattern: must have been dreaming
I must be dreaming — I could swear I saw my keys right here on the table a second ago.
Felix apologized and said he was dreaming when he promised to pick up the kids from school.
Abigail checked her calendar three times, sure she must be dreaming that the meeting was today.
Mei thought she had locked the car, but her friend said she must have been dreaming.
- imagine
broader — covers intentional imagining too; 'dreaming' implies the mistake felt real at the time
文法句型
dream + that-clause
must have been dreaming
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'I must be dreaming' (present) or 'I must have been dreaming' (past), expressing surprise at discovering one's memory or impression is wrong. Also used as an excuse ('I was dreaming') meaning 'I was not paying attention.'
3. to hold a hopeful picture in your mind of a future situation or experience you w
to hold a hopeful picture in your mind of a future situation or experience you want very much, even if it is hard to achieve
Niran spends a lot of time dreaming about opening a small restaurant in his hometown.
pattern: dreaming about + gerund
Maeve and her sister dreamed of visiting every national park in the United States.
When the factory closed, many workers started dreaming of a completely different life.
Rania dreamed of becoming a marine biologist ever since she saw a whale for the first time.
Lotte sat by the window dreaming about the places she would visit after graduation.
文法句型
dream + of + noun/gerund
dream + about + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SLEEP IMAGERY): this sense is about conscious daydreaming or wishing, not about what happens during sleep. 'Dream of' is slightly more formal than 'dream about', but both are common.
常見錯誤
4. a direct and often dismissive remark you make when you think someone's expectati
a direct and often dismissive remark you make when you think someone's expectation is not realistic and will not be satisfied
Hamza asked for a raise after just two weeks on the job, and his boss simply said, 'You are dreaming.'
pattern: you are dreaming (blunt rejection)
Nala said she would finish the project by Friday, but her coworker just laughed and told her to dream on.
pattern: dream on (imperative)
The teenager thought he could buy a sports car with his part-time salary — his dad just said, 'Keep dreaming.'
Expecting the hotel to upgrade your room for free for no reason? You are dreaming.
- wishful thinking
noun phrase, less direct and less rude than 'you are dreaming'
文法句型
(you are) dreaming!
dream on!
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the continuous form ('you are dreaming'), as an imperative ('dream on'), or as a dismissive comment ('keep dreaming'). It carries a dismissive or mocking tone — be careful using it with people you do not know well.