Pipe Dream - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT pipe dream /ˌpaɪp ˈdrim/ IPA guide

Other forms: pipe dreams

You might be convinced that one day you'll buy a private island and turn it into a cat sanctuary — but your parents will probably call it a pipe dream, or an unrealistic, wild scheme.

Impossible dreams and plans are pipe dreams. Imagining that life will be like a Disney movie is one kind of pipe dream, and fantasizing about becoming a famous rock star is another kind of pipe dream. Some pipe dreams do come true, but most of them won't ever be more than a crazy idea. This term dates from the 1870s, and it originally referred to the strange, hallucinatory dreams that opium smokers had.

Definitions of pipe dream

noun a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe) synonyms: dream see moresee less type of: fantasy, phantasy imagination unrestricted by reality

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pipe dream'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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