A dream synonym can point in very different directions, because a dream may be a hope for the future, a fantasy that will never come true, or the story your mind tells you at night. For goals, use aspiration, ambition or goal. For the impossible, use fantasy or pipe dream. For sleep and drifting thoughts, use vision or daydream.
Every sense below has a short list of its own for finding another word for dream, plus the verb forms, the word dreamer, and the opposites. For nearby emotions such as hope and longing, open words for feelings.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
aspiration, ambition, goal, visionPart of speech
Noun and verbMost formal
aspiration, envisionMost casual
pipe dream, wishful thinkingAntonyms
reality, fact, nightmareWatch out
Delusion suggests a false belief and can sound like criticism of someone's mind.Word forms covered
dreams, dreamed, dreamt, dreaming, dreamer
Synonym for dream, by what kind of dream it is
| Kind of dream | Words | Swap shown |
|---|---|---|
| A life goal | aspiration, ambition, goal, aim, calling | Her ambition: a small vet clinic. |
| A wish | hope, wish, heart's desire | His one wish was a dog. |
| Unrealistic | fantasy, pipe dream, illusion | Retiring at thirty was a pipe dream. |
| While asleep | vision, nightmare (if bad) | A strange vision woke him. |
| While awake | daydream, reverie, trance | She was lost in a reverie. |
Reverie is literary. Castle in the air is an old idiom that still turns up in speeches.
From fantasy to goal: the realism scale
Across the five chips, the dream moves from far off to within reach. A fantasy lives only in the imagination. A wish names a thing you would love yet might never chase. A hope leans toward the future with some belief. An aspiration is a serious long-term aim, and a goal is concrete and measurable.
This scale helps in speeches and essays. If you say your dream is a goal, you show a plan. If you call it a fantasy, you show that you know it is unlikely.
Dream synonym swaps for essays, speeches and captions
- My dream is to become a pilot becomes my ambition is to become a pilot in a college essay.
- Follow your dreams becomes chase your aspirations in a graduation speech.
- Living the dream becomes living my best life in a casual caption.
- It was only a dream becomes it was only wishful thinking.
- I had a bad dream becomes I had a nightmare.
- This kitchen is a dream becomes this kitchen is a delight.
A scholarship applicant first wrote: "My dream is to help my dream community." The new version, "My aim is to bring clean water to the village where I grew up," swaps the vague word for a clear goal and a real place.
Dreams synonym ideas for the verb: dreamed and dreaming
As a verb, dream can mean to see images in sleep, to imagine, or to hope. He dreams of the sea can become he pictures the sea or he longs for the sea. She dreamed of success becomes she envisioned success (planning tone) or she fantasized about success (less realistic). Dreaming in class is daydreaming or drifting off.
Dreamed and dreamt are both correct past forms. Americans tend to write dreamed.
Words for a dreamer
A person who dreams big can be a visionary (positive, sees the future), an idealist (believes in what should be), or a romantic (emotional, a bit unrealistic). Daydreamer is gentle teasing. Pick visionary for a founder and idealist for a young activist. For the feeling behind it, see passion synonyms.
Careful with these
Hallucination is a medical or drug-related experience, not a normal dream. Delusion means a fixed false belief and can sound harsh. Illusion means something that tricks the senses or the mind, so it is fine for a hope that turned out false but not for an ambition you still hold. Mirage works the same way.
Antonyms of dream
Reality and fact oppose dream in the sense of something imagined. Nightmare is the opposite of a dream come true. A goal lacks a perfect opposite, though a lost hope or a letdown comes close.
- The vacation turned out to be a nightmare.
- Reality set in after the first week of training.
Also see reality synonyms.
Frequently asked questions
Which formal word can stand in for dream?
Aspiration is the best formal choice for a hope or goal. In academic writing about sleep, keep the word dream itself, as experts do.
Which phrase means dreams that will never come true?
Pipe dream and fantasy are the common choices. Castle in the air is an older idiom with the same meaning.
Should a resume say dreams, or something else?
Use goals, objectives or career aims. Dreams sounds personal and soft in a work setting.
Dream or vision: how do they differ?
A vision often suggests a clear picture of the future, sometimes shared with others. A dream can be more private and less planned.
Is dreamt or dreamed correct?
Both are correct. Dreamed leads in the US, while dreamt turns up often in Britain.
Which antonyms of dream should I know?
Reality is the usual opposite. For a very good thing, the opposite is a nightmare.