dream-world

A child explores a colorful dream-world.

Definition

Noun:
- An imagined or idealized reality: "dream-world" refers to a state of mind or a fantasy realm that is separate from the actual world, often characterized by wishful thinking or unrealistic expectations.
- A place of fantasy: It can also mean a setting or scenario that exists only in one's imagination, such as in a dream or a fictional story.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

"to retreat into a dream-world": to deliberately ignore reality and focus on fantasies or daydreams.
- After the stressful meeting, he retreated into his own dream-world to calm down. (He escaped into his imagination.)
"a dream-world of possibilities": an idiom meaning a wide range of ideal but often unattainable options.
- The architect's plans were a dream-world of possibilities, but they lacked a budget. (An unrealistic set of ideas.)

Variants and Related Words

Dreamland (n): a synonym for dream-world, often used in a more poetic or childish sense.
- The child drifted off to dreamland, where she played with talking animals. (A fantasy world in sleep or imagination.)
Dreamy (adj): having a quality of being like a dream; vague, pleasant, or unreal.
- He had a dreamy look on his face as he stared out the window. (Appearing lost in thought or fantasy.)

Synonyms

Fantasy world: an imagined realm of events and characters.
- His fantasy world involved dragons and knights. (An imaginary setting.)
Utopia: an ideally perfect place, especially in social or political terms.
- She described a utopia where everyone was equal, but it was just a dream-world. (An ideal but unrealistic society.)

Related Idioms

In a dream world: used to describe someone's unrealistic perspective.
- If you think we can finish this project in one day, you're living in a dream world. (You are not being realistic.)
A pipe dream: an unrealistic hope or plan.
- His plan to become a millionaire overnight was just a pipe dream, a dream-world fantasy. (An unattainable wish.)