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reverie
/ˈrɛvəri/
daydream
Lost in a reverie, she stared out the window at the falling snow.
She was deeply absorbed in a pleasant daydream while gazing at the snow.
literary
A state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.
He drifted into a reverie, forgetting about the meeting entirely.
He became so absorbed in his thoughts that he completely forgot about the meeting.
Her poetry often reflects a dreamy reverie about nature.
Her poems frequently express a dreamy, contemplative state inspired by nature.
Often implies a positive or neutral mental state, though it can occasionally suggest distraction.
Collocations
lost in reveriedeeply absorbed in daydreamingwild reverieextreme or imaginative daydreaming
Pro Tip
Distinguish from 'delusion'
Reverie implies a pleasant or neutral daydream, while 'delusion' suggests a false belief, often negative or pathological.
Gold Rule
Use for positive/neutral mental states
Reserve 'reverie' for contexts where the daydreaming is pleasant or creative, not for negative or distressing thoughts.
Word Origin
From Old French *reverie* (revery), derived from *rever* (to wander), ultimately from Latin *re-* (again) + *vereri* (to fear). Originally meant 'delirium' or 'madness' before shifting to the modern sense of 'daydream'.
Usage Notes
Reverie is typically used in literary or poetic contexts to describe a pleasant, detached mental state. It is less common in everyday speech but may appear in reflective or creative writing.
Word Breakdown
re-
back, again
prefix-verie
to wander (in thought)
rootEnglish Dictionary