pipe dream

English

Etymology

From the fantasies experienced when smoking an opium pipe.

Noun

pipe dream (plural pipe dreams)

1. (idiomatic) A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

   I think that his plan to become a professional athlete is a pipe dream and that he should stay in school.

Translations

near impossibility

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 妄想 (cmn) (wàngxiǎng)

• Czech: vzdušné zámky (cs) m pl (air castles)
• Danish: ønskedrøm (da) c
• Dutch: luchtkasteel (nl) n (air castle)
• Finnish: pilvilinna (fi)
• French: rêve chimérique (fr) m, chimère (fr) f
• German: Luftschloss (de) n (air castle)
• Greek: ὀνειροπόληση (el) (oneiropólisi) f, ονειροφαντασία (el) (oneirofantasía) f
• Hebrew: (formally) חלומות באספמיה (he) (ḥalomót be aspámya) m pl, (formally) מגדלים פורחים באוויר (he) (migdalím porḥím ba avír) m pl

• Hungarian: légvár (hu)
• Japanese: 夢物語 (ja) (ゆめものがたり, yumemonogatari)
• Norwegian: luftslott (no) n, ønskedrøm (no) m
• Polish: mrzonka (pl) f
• Russian: несбыточная мечта (ru) (nesbýtočnaja mečtá) f (unrealizable dream), воздушные замки (ru) (vozdúšnyje zámki) m pl (air castles)
• Spanish: sueño guajiro (es)
• Swedish: luftslott (sv) n
• Turkish: boş hayal (tr), hülya (tr)