Dream Synonyms
Christopher Le Brun, Dream, Think, Speak. 1981–2.
As part of a series on vocabulary, I want to share words in the English language that expands what we may use day-to-day. Today, we will look at words that go beyond the word dream – and yet describe the very thing themselves. The list below will inspire future entries on the etymology of dream words. A summary of the 77 synonyms may reveal new ways to relate to our dreams. Ancient words will seem fresh; rare words will spur curiosity. I want to let the dream come forth from the English language. My entry will also act as a glossary for essays published here regarding the lexis of dreams. If this list is the first time you’ve come across some of these words, please cite this entry and its source: the Oxford English Dictionary’s Historical Thesaurus.
dream, noun
sweven c. 897
A dream, vision.
meting OE (Old English)
The action of mete, v.2; dreaming; a dream, a fantasy.
showing c1225
Something that is shown or appears; a revelation, a manifestation of something; a sign or portent; a dream or vision. Now archaic and historical.
swevening ?c1275
Dreaming; a dream.
dream c1300
A series of images, thoughts, and emotions, often with a story-like quality, generated by mental activity during sleep; the state in which this occurs. Also: a prophetic or supernatural vision experienced when either awake or asleep.
metels 1340
A dream, a vision.
dremels 1362
A dream.
night vision a1382
A vision or dream experienced during the night. Now rare.
metred a1393
A dream.
dreaming a1400
As a count noun: a dream, reverie, or fantasy; (in early use also) †a delusion, a wild imagining (obsolete). Usually in plural.
somniation 1598
A sleep; a dream.
dream, pleasant or happy
summer dream ?1793
a pleasant or happy dream.
vision splendid 1807
the dream of some glorious imagined time.
Nightmare
bitch daughter ?c1475
any of various afflictions personified as a female demon, esp. a nightmare; chiefly in to be ridden by the bitch daughter; cf. hag, n.1 5a.
nightmare 1562
Originally (usually with the): a feeling of suffocation or great distress experienced during sleep. Now usually: a bad dream producing these or similar sensations; an oppressive, frightening, or unpleasant dream.
hag 1598
spec. Originally (usually with the): a feeling of suffocation or paralysis experienced during sleep. Now usually: an oppressive or terrifying dream, a nightmare. Now Bahamian and Newfoundland.
nightmare dream 1763
daymare dream 1796
a nightmare experienced during the day or while awake (in literal and figurative senses of nightmare n. 2); cf. earlier nightmare dream n. at nightmare n. and adj. Compounds 1a.
night horse 1840
(a) chiefly Australian and U.S., a horse used for work at night; (b) = nightmare, n. (a punning alteration).
Nightmare itself
ephialtes 1601
A demon supposed to cause nightmare; nightmare itself.
Dream, induced by drugs
opium dream 1821
a dream experienced during an opium-induced sleep; also figurative.
hop-dream 1896
Dream, other specific types
gulf-dream 1813
a dream of drowning in, or falling into, a gulf.
dreamlet 1828
A brief dream; (Psychology) a dream experienced during the transition between sleeping and waking; a hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucination.
wet dream 1851
an erotic dream which causes a man or boy to have an involuntary sexual orgasm during sleep; also figurative.
dream sequence 1893
(a) a sequence of images seen in a dream; (b) a part of a film or other work of art portraying a dream or dreamlike events.
wish-fulfilment 1908
The imaginary fulfilment of acknowledged or unconscious wishes in dreams and fantasies; a dream or other event or object in which the fulfilment of a wish is given (usually imaginary or symbolic) expression.
war dream 1918
a dream about war.
wish-dream 1934
a dream or fantasy that reflects some hidden wish; also attributive.
Dream, image which appears in
phantom 1557
Something merely imagined; an image in a dream, vision, etc. Also: a (usually delusory) notion or idea which plays on the mind or haunts the imagination.
phantasma 1598
= phantasm, n. (in various senses).
dream vision 1702
The action or fact of seeing someone or something in a dream, esp. as a form of prophesy. Also (now chiefly): an instance of this; a vision experienced in a dream.
dream figure c1819
With the sense ‘that is seen or experienced in a dream’; ‘that is dreamed about’; (also) ‘that is illusory, unreal, etc., as in a dream’, as dream-child, dream country, dream figure, dream-hall, dream image, dream-kingdom, dream-light, dream scenery, etc.
dream-picture 1840
(a) an image seen or as if seen in a dream; (b) a picture representing a dream.
dream landscape 1865
a landscape seen in a dream; (now chiefly) the world of dreams perceived as a landscape; cf. dreamscape, n. 2.
dreamscape 1876
A landscape or image seen in a dream. Also: the world of dreams perceived as a landscape; (sometimes) spec. an image or images perceived in a hallucinogen-induced state. Cf. dreamland n. 1.
Dream, mythological portal of
horny gate (also port): the gate of horn (see gate, n.1 5). Obsolete.
the gate of horn 1831
figurative. A means of entrance or exit; said e.g. of the five senses. Phrase to open a gate for (also to open a gate to): to provide facility or opportunity for. the ivory gate, the gate of horn: (in Greek legend) those through which false and true dreams respectively come forth. Cf. door n. 3.
the ivory gate 1870
figurative. A means of entrance or exit; said e.g. of the five senses. Phrase to open a gate for (also to open a gate to): to provide facility or opportunity for. the ivory gate, the gate of horn: (in Greek legend) those through which false and true dreams respectively come forth. Cf. door n. 3.
Action or state of dreaming
dreaming a1400
The action of dream, v.2 (in various senses).
somniation 1598
A sleep; a dream.
Dreaming, Specific Aspect of
figuration 1652
The action of framing figures or shapes. in dreams; in quot. quasi-concrete.
dream vision 1702
The action or fact of seeing someone or something in a dream, esp. as a form of prophesy. Also (now chiefly): an instance of this; a vision experienced in a dream. And, a narrative mode, chiefly associated with medieval poetry, in which the author recounts an alleged dream, the subject of which is typically open to allegorical interpretation. Also: a narrative using this mode.
One who dreams
meter ?a1300
A dreamer.
swevener a1382
a dreamer.
dreamer a1400
A person who dreams or is dreaming during sleep.
One who has nightmares
nightmare sleeper 1843
nightmare-dreamer 1954
Dream, world of
dream world 1817
An imagined or invented place or state of existence; a fantasy world. Also: the place seen or visited in dreams; the realm of dreams. Cf. dreamland n.
dreamland 1826
The place seen or visited in dreams, and existing only in the imagination; the world of dreams; (hence) sleep. Cf. the land of Nod at nod, n.1 5b.
dreamscape 1967
A landscape or image seen in a dream. Also: the world of dreams perceived as a landscape; (sometimes) spec. an image or images perceived in a hallucinogen-induced state. Cf. dreamland n. 1.
Nightmare, world of
nightmare-land 1957
APPARENT duration of dream
dream-while 1822
the duration of a dream or reverie; a short space of time.
god of dreams
Morpheus a1393
(The name of) the god of dreams (popularly often taken as the god of sleep), used allusively with reference to his ability to induce dreams or sleep. Hence also (as a personification): sleep; a soporific substance, etc.
Murphy 1750
= Morpheus, n. Frequently in in the arms of Murphy: asleep.
Study of dreams
oneirocriticism 1614
The art or practice of interpreting dreams.
oneirocritics 1614
The art of interpreting dreams; oneirocriticism.
oneiromancy 1650
Prediction of the future by the interpretation of dreams.
oneirocritic 1744
= oneirocritics, n. Obsolete.
oneirology 1818
The study of dreams, or of their interpretation.
dream interpretation 1846
oneiroscopy 1887
The study or interpretation of dreams.
oneirocrisy 1976
= oneirocriticism, n.
One who studies or interprets dreams
dream reader a1387
a person who interprets dreams.
dream doctor 1545
a person who interprets dreams; (now esp.) a person who gives medical or spiritual guidance regarding dreams.
dream interpreter ?1611
Objective, with agent nouns and present participles, as dream bringer, dream interpreter, dream maker; dream-haunting, dream-inducing, dream-making, etc.
dream-teller a1641
a person who interprets dreams.
oneirocritic a1652
A person who judges or interprets dreams.
dream-speller 1652
a person who interprets dreams.
oneiropolist 1652
A person who interprets dreams.
oneiromancer 1653
A person who interprets dreams in order to predict the future.
oneiromantist 1653
= oneiromancer, n.
oneirocrite 1693
A person who interprets dreams.
oneirologist 1834
a person who studies dreams and their interpretation.
oneiroscopist 1889
A person who studies or interprets dreams.
Sender of dreams
oneiropompist 1652
A sender of dreams.
Dream, adjective
somnaical 1655
Pertaining to sleep or dreams.
somnial 1693
Of or relating to dreams.
somniatory 1693
Of or pertaining to dreams or dreaming.
somniativea 1834
Relating to, or producing, dreams.
oneiric 1859
Of, characteristic of, or relating to dreams; dreamlike.
Dreaming or that dreams
dreaming 1552
That dreams or is dreaming during sleep. Also in extended use of the eyes.
swevening 1570
dreaming.
somnorine 1637
Seen during sleep.
sleeping 1781
Seen in sleep.
Dreaming, made weary by
fordreamed ?a1400
Dreaming, Not
dreamless 1605
Without a dream or dreams; (esp. of sleep) free from dreams.
undreaming 1831
(un-, prefix1 affix 4.)
Full of or abounding in dreams
dreamful 1552
Having or characterized by dreams; full of dreams.
dreamy 1597
Esp. of sleep: full of dreams. Also: characterized by dreams or by giving rise to dreams.
Full of or abounding in nightmares
nightmare-laden 1865
nightmare-ridden 1875
Resembling specific types of dreams
nightmare-like 1919
Resembling or reminiscent of a nightmare; extremely frightening. Also as adv.
wish-dream 1934
a dream or fantasy that reflects some hidden wish; also attributive.
Occuring in the middle of the dream
intersomnial 1849
Occurring in the midst of a dream.
Dream, adverb
adream 1830
In a dream. Also occasionally as adj. (in predicative use): dreaming, asleep.
Dream Not, adverb
dreamlessly 1813
Dream, Like or in the manner of
dreamingly 1533
In or as in a dream or reverie; dreamily.
dream-wise 1723
in the manner of, or as in, a dream.
Nightmare, Like or in the manner of
nightmare-like 1832
Resembling or reminiscent of a nightmare; extremely frightening. Also as adv.
nightmarishly 1891
Full or abounding in dreams, adverb
dreamfully a1865
in a dreamful manner; dreamily.
