Reverie

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛvəɹi/

Definitions

1. A state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts or daydreams, often detached from immediate surroundings
2. A condition where the mind wanders happily away from the present moment into imagined scenarios
3. An experience of drifting away into comfortable and often imaginative thoughts detached from reality

Etymology: Before it meant a dreamy state of mind, "reverie" meant revelry and drunkenness. In Middle French, "reverie" carried those wild, rowdy senses, and it came from Old French "resverie," a noun built on "resver," meaning "to dream" or "to rave." That verb's own origin is uncertain, though it is linked to the English word "rave," which shares the sense of wild, delirious talk. English borrowed the word from French "rêverie," and the sense softened over time. The loud, feverish excitement of the older meaning gave way to the quiet, drifting thoughts of a mind wandering away from its surroundings. The word's current sense is the gentle one: a pleasant, absorbed daydream.

Synonyms: daydream, fantasy, dream, trance, musing

Antonyms: reality, fact