Meanings
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1
noun
a person who is dreaming while asleep
The dreamer woke suddenly when the door slammed.
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2
noun
a person who often escapes into fantasy and is not very practical
His friends called him a dreamer because he made plans without considering the cost.
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3
noun
a person guided by ambitious hopes or ideals
Every major reform begins with a dreamer who imagines a better system.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English dremer, equivalent to dream + the agent suffix -er. Cognates include Dutch dromer and German Träumer. The literal sleeper sense developed naturally into two figurative types: an impractical fantasist and an idealistic visionary.