English → Latin
“dream” in Latin
somniumdream, vision; fantasy, daydreamsomniōto dream; to daydream, think idly; to talk idlydormītōto slumber; to feel sleepy, drowsy; to do nothing
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
dream s.
somnium (also figuratively “an illusion,” etc.: ☞ insomnium is rare, and found only in the plur., , in classical prose): a vision seen in a dream, species per somnum oblata, or in quiete visa; visus nocturnus: in a dream, per somnum; in somnis; per quietem; in quiete: to have a dream, somniare; speciem videre in quiete: to have pleasant dreams, somniis uti jucundissimis: to have a remarkable dream, mirum somnium somniare: to interpret a dream, somnium interpretari, or conjicere; somnium interpretatione explicare: it seems like a dream, somnio similis res mihi videtur: dreams often come true, multa somnia vera evadunt: anybody appears to me in a dream, imago alicujus in somnio mihi venit: to have a day-dream, vigilantem somniare: to indulge in (day) dreams, somnia sibi fingere (☞ Lucr., 1, 104): to see anything in a dream, aliquid in somnis or in quiete videre: mere dreams! somnia! it is all a dream about the money, de argento somnium: the god of dreams, Morpheus (Μορφεύς; in heathen mythology): one who interprets or explains dreams, somniorum interpres or conjector; also conjector simply; conjectrix (of a female).
dream v.
somniare (also figuratively = to have strange or foolish ideas or imaginations): dormitare (only figuratively, to live thoughtlessly or idly): to dream anything or of anything, somniare aliquid or de aliqua re; dormientem videre aliquid animo; videre aliquid in somnis (i. e., to see anything in one’s sleep); also per somnum, or per quietem, or secundum quietem: to dream of anybody, somniare de. aliquo. I dreamed, somniavi; somnium mihi fuit; in somnis visus sum, with infinitive (Vid: Cic., De Divin., 1, 24, 49; Plaut., Cure., 2, 2, 20): people or they dream, somniatur: to dream when one is wide awake, vigilantem somniare: I dreamed a strange dream, mirum somnium somniavi: I never dreamed of that, quod non somniabam: you are dreaming! dormitas! (our “you are asleep!”): what are you dreaming about? quid somnias? (i. e., what idle notion have you got inyour head?)
To be sluggish; to dream away one’s hours, agere aetatem desidiose (Lucr., 6, 1129): tempus dormitare in otio (Plaut., Asin., 2, 1, 5).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for dream?
- The usual Latin words for “dream” are somnium, somniō, dormītō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.