pipe dream

pipe dream
noun
a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe)
-

I have this pipe dream about being emperor of the universe

• Syn: ↑dream
• Hypernyms: ↑fantasy, ↑phantasy

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n
daydream, dream, delusion, fantasy, reverie, romance, false hope, mirage, notion
FORMAL chimera, vagary
COLLOQ. castle in Spain, castle in the air, pie in the sky

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▶ noun FANTASY, false hope, illusion, delusion, daydream, chimera; castle in the air, castle in Spain; informal pie in the sky.

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noun
Etymology: so called from the fantasies brought about by the smoking of opium
: an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story

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any fantastic notion, hope, or story: Her plans for a movie career are just a pipe dream.
[1895-1900, Amer.]

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pipe dream noun
A futile and unreal hope or fancy such as one has when relaxing while smoking a pipe (orig an opium-smoker's fantasy)
• • •
Main Entry: ↑pipe

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pipe dream UK US noun [countable] [singular pipe dream plural pipe dreams]
something you wish for that can never really happen
Thesaurus: feelings of hopesynonym

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pipe dream,
Informal.
1. an impractical, groundless, or fantastic idea or scheme.
2. a dream produced by smoking opium.

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n. an unattainable or fanciful hope or scheme
Origin:
late 19th cent.: referring to a dream experienced when smoking an opium pipe

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noun, pl ⋯ dreams [count]
: a hope, wish, or dream that is impossible to achieve or not practical

His plan for starting his own business was just a pipe dream.

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ˈpipe dream f12 [pipe dream pipe dreams] noun
a hope or plan that is impossible to achieve or not practical
 
Word Origin:
late 19th cent.: referring to a dream experienced when smoking an opium pipe.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • pipe dream — pipe dreams also pipe dream N COUNT A pipe dream is a hope or plan that you have which you know will never really happen. You could waste your whole life on a pipe dream …   English dictionary

  • pipe dream — (n.) 1896; the sort of improbable fantasy one has while smoking opium; from PIPE (Cf. pipe) (n.) + DREAM (Cf. dream) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • pipe dream — A pipe dream is an unrealistic, impractical idea or scheme …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • pipe dream — ► NOUN ▪ an unattainable or fanciful hope or scheme. ORIGIN referring to a dream experienced when smoking an opium pipe …   English terms dictionary

  • pipe dream — pipe ,dream noun count something you wish for that can never really happen …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pipe dream — pipe′ dream n. a fanciful or unrealistic notion, hope, or plan …   From formal English to slang

  • pipe dream — [n] fantasy air castle, airy hope, castle in the sky*, chimera, daydream, fantastic notion, fool’s paradise*, unreal hope, wishful thinking; concepts 20,529,689 …   New thesaurus

  • pipe dream — ☆ pipe dream n. [in allusion to hallucinations experienced by opium smokers] Informal a fantastic idea, vain hope or plan, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Pipe dream — A pipe dream is a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve. It is implied that the smoker of the pipe is smoking a substance that alters their perceptions to make something fantastical seem… …   Wikipedia

  • Pipe Dream — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel Pipe Dream – Lügen haben Klempnerbeine Originaltitel Pipe Dream …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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