dream-land

A child drifts off to sleep and enters a peaceful dream-land.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An imaginary or idealized world: "dream-land" refers to a place or state of existence that exists only in the imagination, often associated with pleasant thoughts, fantasies, or the realm of dreams during sleep.
   • A utopian or unrealistic place: It can also describe a situation or location that is so perfect or ideal that it seems unreal or unattainable.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • After a long day, she retreated to her dream-land, where everything was peaceful and beautiful. (An imagined, ideal world.)
  • The artist's paintings depict a dream-land of floating islands and glowing rivers. (A fantastical, imaginary place.)
  • He lives in a dream-land if he thinks he can become a millionaire without working. (A state of unrealistic thinking.)

Advanced Usage

• "to dwell in dream-land": to be lost in one's own fantasies or daydreams, often to the point of ignoring reality.

  • Instead of studying, he dwells in dream-land, imagining himself as a famous musician. (He spends time in unrealistic fantasies.)

• "to be from dream-land": to be exceptionally beautiful or otherworldly in appearance.

  • The model's gown made her look like she was from dream-land. (She appeared as if from an imaginary, perfect world.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dreamworld (n): a synonym for dream-land; an imaginary or ideal place.

  • The amusement park was a dreamworld for children. (A perfect, magical place for kids.)

• Dreamlike (adj): resembling a dream; unreal or hazy.

  • The sunset had a dreamlike quality. (It seemed as if in a dream.)

• Dreamy (adj): tending to daydream; also, having a soft, pleasant, or romantic quality.

  • She had a dreamy expression as she looked out the window. (She was lost in thought.)

Synonyms

• Fantasyland: a place of fantasy or imagination.
• Neverland: an imaginary place where one can escape reality (from Peter Pan).
• Utopia: an imagined perfect society or place.

Related Idioms

• In one's wildest dreams: used to emphasize that something is beyond what one could imagine.

  • Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win the lottery. (It was unimaginable.)

• Pipe dream: an unrealistic hope or plan.

  • His plan to travel the world for free is just a pipe dream. (An unattainable fantasy.)

Usage Notes

• "Dream-land" is often used with a hyphen, though it may appear as "dreamland" in informal writing. The hyphen emphasizes the compound nature of the word.
• The term can carry a slightly pejorative tone when used to criticize someone's unrealistic thinking, as in "He's living in dream-land."