WordGarden.iodreamlike
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /drˈiːmlaɪk/
US
- /ˈdrimˌlaɪk/
Meanings
Adjective
having an unreal, strange, or beautiful quality like a dream
Beyond the definition
Something dreamlike feels as if it came straight from a dream: beautiful, strange, and not quite real. A misty forest in the morning or a very vivid piece of music might be described this way. It suggests a soft, unreal quality that blurs the line between what is real and what is imagined.
Think of those moments when you wake up and cannot immediately tell whether something really happened or only happened in your sleep. That feeling of unreality is dreamlike. A painter might try to create a dreamlike scene by using soft colors and unclear shapes. It is not only used for pleasant dreams; a nightmare can also feel dreamlike if it seems strange and cut off from normal reality.
The word dreamlike describes something that has the qualities of a dream, often showing unreality, vagueness, beauty, or strangeness. It gives the sense of being in a world where logic does not fully apply and familiar things seem changed or slightly distorted. For example: "The abandoned amusement park had a dreamlike quality, with faded paint and silent rides."
Dreamlike is not simply about something being pleasant; it can also describe unsettling or even frightening experiences that feel detached from reality. A disturbing film might be described as dreamlike if its story feels broken into pieces and does not follow normal logic. It is the feeling of not being fully grounded, as if you are moving through a scene shaped by your own mind.
The term can also suggest nostalgia or longing for something hard to reach. A memory that feels distant and hazy can be described as dreamlike, suggesting that time and imagination have softened it. Writers often use dreamlike to create atmosphere, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred.
So whether you're describing a beautiful landscape, a haunting memory, or an unsettling experience, dreamlike captures that elusive quality of being both captivatingly unreal and profoundly affecting.
Examples
- 1
Visual scene
The garden looked dreamlike in the early morning fog.
- 2
Calm movement
She moved through the empty house with a slow, dreamlike calm.
- 3
Film style
The film has a dreamlike quality, with long silences and strange colors.
- 4
Mental state
After the long flight, I spent the afternoon in a dreamlike state.
- Phrasedreamlike state
a mental state that feels slightly unreal or hazy
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- dreamlike quality
- dreamlike state
- dreamlike sequence
Word family
Explore
- liminality
- altered state
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- dreamlikeadjective