Definition

1. Verb:

   • To have wild illusions; to indulge in vain imaginings: To think about or desire something that is completely unrealistic, fanciful, or impossible to achieve. It implies a disconnect from reality.
   • To fantasize vainly: To engage in wishful thinking about something that has little or no chance of happening.

2. Noun:

   • A vain fantasy; a wild illusion; a pipe dream: An idea, hope, or plan that is based on imagination and not on reality, and is therefore unlikely to be realized.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Anh ta chỉ biết vọng tưởng về một tương lai giàu có mà không chịu làm việc. (He only knows how to have wild illusions about a wealthy future without being willing to work.)
  • Đừng vọng tưởng chuyện làm giàu một sớm một chiều. (Don't indulge in vain imaginings about getting rich overnight.)

• Noun:

  • Kế hoạch đó chỉ là vọng tưởng. (That plan is merely a pipe dream.)
  • Anh sống trong vọng tưởng của chính mình. (He lives in his own vain fantasies.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "vọng tưởng" is often used in philosophical or psychological contexts to criticize unrealistic thinking. It carries a negative connotation, suggesting foolishness or a refusal to accept practical limitations.

Variants and Related Words

• Ảo tưởng (n): Illusion, delusion. Often used interchangeably with "vọng tưởng" as a noun, but can imply a stronger, more persistent false belief.
• Mộng tưởng (n/v): To daydream; a daydream. Can be less negative than "vọng tưởng," sometimes implying harmless or romantic fantasy.

Synonyms

• Verb: To fantasize vainly, to have illusions, to daydream unrealistically.
• Noun: A chimera, a fantasy, an illusion, a pipe dream, a castle in the air.

Related Idioms

• Xây lâu đài trên cát: To build castles in the sand. This idiom is very close in meaning to "vọng tưởng," describing plans or dreams that have no solid foundation and are destined to collapse.
  • Kế hoạch không có ngân sách của họ giống như xây lâu đài trên cát. (Their plan with no budget is like building castles in the sand.)

verb

1. to dream wildly of