WordGarden.iodreamland
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /drˈiːmlənd/
US
- /ˈdrimˌlænd/
Meanings
Noun
an imaginary, ideal, or magical place or state
sleep, especially imagined as a place one goes to
Beyond the definition
Dreamland is the place of sleep and dreams. It can mean the state of being asleep, or the imagined world that seems to open up once you drift off. It brings to mind soft, strange, or beautiful scenes that feel far away from everyday life.
The word is also often used in a figurative way. If someone is "living in dreamland," it usually means they are not facing reality and are hoping for something unlikely. So the term can sound gentle and comforting, but it can also suggest foolish optimism or escape from real life.
Dreamland most basically refers to the state of sleep or the imagined world of dreams. When someone "goes off to dreamland," they are simply falling asleep. In this sense, the word points to that soft border where waking life fades and dreaming begins.
At the same time, dreamland can describe a magical or unreal place that exists only in the mind. In stories or descriptions, it may suggest a land filled with wonder, beauty, or impossible things. A sentence like "She wandered through a dreamland of shining rivers and friendly creatures" uses the word in this more imaginative way.
The word is also common in figurative speech. If you say that someone is "living in dreamland," you usually mean they are out of touch with reality. They may be ignoring facts, expecting too much, or holding onto hopes that are unlikely to come true. In this use, the word is not about sleep at all. It gently, and sometimes sharply, suggests unrealistic thinking.
Because of these different uses, dreamland can feel warm, playful, and comforting in one sentence, but naive or critical in another. It may refer to peaceful sleep, to a rich inner world of fantasy, or to a mistaken view of real life. That mix of softness and unreality is what gives the word its lasting charm.
Examples
- 1
Baby sleep
The baby was in dreamland by eight o'clock.
- 2
Falling asleep
I put on some quiet music, and soon I was off to dreamland.
- Phraseoff to dreamland
going to sleep
- 3
Bored meeting
By the middle of the meeting, Tom looked as if he were already in dreamland.
- 4
Unrealistic thinking
If you think we can finish this project in a week with no extra staff, you're living in dreamland.
- Phraseliving in dreamland
having unrealistic ideas
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- dreamlandnoun