pipe dream

Definition

A desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or a plan which is unlikely to work; a near impossibility.

Etymology

From pipe + dream, referring to the fantasies experienced when smoking an opium pipe. Compare Old English pīpdrēam (“the sound or music of a pipe”), which is formed identically but has a different meaning.

Example Sentences

• "I think that his plan to become a professional athlete is a pipe dream and that he should stay in school."
• "Only a year ago it would have needed a "super-Micawber" to be optimistic that the railways would once again pay their way. But it was no longer a pipe dream that B.R. could make a profit, the way to do it was now clear."