dreamy
UK: ˈdriːmi | US: ˈdriːmi
adj. having a magical or pleasantly unreal quality; resembling a dream
adj. tending to daydream or be lost in thought
adj. (of a person) having a gentle, romantic, or ethereal appearance
The word "dreamy" combines "dream," derived from Old English drēam (originally meaning "joy, music," later shifting to "mental imagery during sleep"), with the suffix "-y," which forms adjectives indicating a characteristic or tendency. Over time, "dreamy" evolved to describe things or people that evoke the surreal, soft, or imaginative qualities of a dream. The suffix "-y" (from Old English -ig) is a productive morpheme in English, often added to nouns to create descriptive adjectives (e.g., "sunny," "cloudy").
The sunset painted a dreamy haze over the ocean.
She had a dreamy expression, as if lost in thought.
The music gave the room a dreamy, otherworldly atmosphere.
His dreamy eyes made him seem perpetually lost in fantasy.
The novel’s prose was lush and dreamy, like a fairy tale.