dreamlike

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled dream-like

US /ˈdrimlaɪk/ UK /ˈdriːmlaɪk/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
having the surreal or unreal quality of a dream

The misty harbor had a dreamlike, half-remembered beauty.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having the surreal or... surrealunreal ethereal phantasmal hallucinatory otherworldly

Opposites

real mundane ordinary

Word family

Related forms dream dreamy

Etymology

A compound of 'dream' + 'like'. 'Dream' is from Old English 'drēam' (originally 'joy, music'), later influenced by Old Norse 'draumr' ('dream').

drēam Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

# dreamlike

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈdrimlaɪk
**IPA (UK):** ˈdriːmlaɪk

## Meanings
1. having the surreal or unreal quality of a dream

## Examples
- The misty harbor had a dreamlike, half-remembered beauty.

## Synonyms
- surreal
- unreal
- ethereal
- phantasmal
- hallucinatory
- otherworldly

## Antonyms
- real
- mundane
- ordinary

## Related Forms
- dream
- dreamy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: drēam

## Etymology
A compound of 'dream' + 'like'. 'Dream' is from Old English 'drēam' (originally 'joy, music'), later influenced by Old Norse 'draumr' ('dream').

## AI Etymology
Dreamlike is a compound of 'dream' + 'like'. 'Dream' is from Old English 'drēam' (originally 'joy, music'), later influenced by Old Norse 'draumr' ('dream'). The immediate etymological form is Old English drēam. In present use as an adjective, it means "having the surreal or unreal quality of a dream", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. As a compound, its meaning is assembled from the two visible parts rather than from an opaque borrowing. Related words include dream and dreamy.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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dreamlike

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