dream and dreaming share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. dream means “a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep”. dreaming means “imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake”. dream is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɹim/
1.n.a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
“I had a dream about you last night”
2.n.imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
“he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality”
3.n.a cherished desire
“his ambition is to own his own business”
/ˈdɹimɪŋ/
1.n.imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
“he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality”
2.n.a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
“I had a dream about you last night”
| dream | dreaming | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɹim/ | /ˈdɹimɪŋ/ |
| Said | dreem | DREE-ming |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 8 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | dreaming | dream |
Full entry for dream · Full entry for dreaming · More comparisons