as in trance
the state of being lost in thought
if you're bored while traveling, daydreaming is a perfectly normal state to be in, regardless of what the road signs say
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in dreaming
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of daydreaming
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daydreaming
Noun
-
At the packed opening, a huge screen showed Abramović’s video work, Tito’s Funeral (2025), broadcasting women beating their chests in a near trance-like state, drawing on ritualised forms of communal mourning.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Sound, light, and vibration/ Reshape our perceptions/ Pulling us into a trance-like state.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Just five years ago, Bryson Battle was a suburban Charlotte high school senior dreaming about a career in the theater.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Messick, who grew up dreaming of wearing a Rays uniform, continues to be a nightmare for his hometown team.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Over the top of these more ragged edges, Llobet takes a pointillistic approach to lyric writing, favoring half-thoughts and dreamy images that coalesce into a picture of unsettled anxiety.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
Lose yourself in this dreamy bookstore Stepping into Bird’s Bookstore feels like entering an interior designer’s private library.—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The undercurrent of pensive sadness gives the movie an emotional depth that helps counter its relatively rote approach.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
After the lecture, the audience was visibly pensive.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1866, Howells had been able to recognize the connection between ending slavery, envisioning equality, and the broadest expression of the American idea.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But reflection on those few hours of celebration — that wild scramble to enjoy the moment, yet hurry to get everyone ready to go home — left the Dodgers envisioning one of the few things this contemporary dynasty has yet to accomplish.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unabsorbed calcium leaves the body through stool, and absorbed calcium that isn't needed may be filtered by the kidneys and leave in urine—often within about a day.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.—
Ambuj Tewari,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
