Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fantastic but vain hope; an unrealistic or impractical fantasy: A "pipe dream" is an unrealistic hope, plan, or idea that is unlikely to ever be realized. The term originates from the fantastical visions or dreams experienced by opium smokers using a pipe.

Usage

• The term is used to describe hopes, plans, or ambitions that are appealing but completely detached from reality or practicality.
• It is typically used with verbs like "have," "be," "pursue," or "chase."
• It often carries a slightly negative or dismissive connotation, implying the idea is foolish or naive.

Examples

• Noun:
  • His plan to become a billionaire by age 25 was nothing but a pipe dream.
  • She finally realized that winning the lottery was a pipe dream and focused on saving money instead.
  • The politician's promise of no taxes was dismissed as a pipe dream by economists.

Advanced Usage

• "To be a pipe dream": To be an unrealistic hope.
  • Universal peace, while a noble goal, often seems like a pipe dream.
• "To have a pipe dream": To possess an unrealistic hope or plan.
  • He had a pipe dream of sailing around the world without any sailing experience.

Variants and Related Words

• Pipe-dream (adj., attributive use): Used to describe something related to or characteristic of a pipe dream.
  • He outlined a pipe-dream scheme that had no basis in fact.
• Fantasy (n): The faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable. (A more general term; a "pipe dream" is a specific type of unrealistic fantasy.)
• Daydream (n): A series of pleasant thoughts that distract one's attention from the present. (Less negative than "pipe dream"; a daydream can be a brief mental escape, while a pipe dream is an extended, unrealistic hope.)

Synonyms

• Fantasy: An idea with no basis in reality.
• Delusion: A false belief or impression.
• Illusion: A false idea or belief.
• Castle in the air / Pie in the sky: Idioms meaning an unrealistic hope or plan.

Antonyms

• Realistic goal: An aim that is practical and achievable.
• Practical plan: A scheme based on sensible, realistic ideas.

Related Idioms

• Castles in Spain / Castles in the air: Building unrealistic hopes or dreams.
  • His business ideas were just castles in the air.
• Pie in the sky: An unrealistic hope or promise of good things in the future.
  • The candidate's promises of instant prosperity were just pie in the sky.

Noun

1. a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe)
   • I have this pipe dream about being emperor of the universe