castle in the sky
Unreachable lofty fantasy
A castle in the sky is an impractical dream or visionary scheme unlikely to materialize—something beautiful to imagine but impossible to build.
The phrase emphasizes both the grandeur of the fantasy and its fundamental detachment from reality: His plan to revolutionize the industry was just another castle in the sky.
Also *castles in the air*.
- ivory towerSheltered intellectual enclave
- fairy taleMagical children's narrative
- pipe dreamUnrealistic aspiration
- pie in the skyUnrealistic hope or plan
- daydreamConscious fantasy while awake
head in the clouds · Shangri-La · utopia · dream world · Camelot · mirage · phantasmagoria · Atlantis · chimera · reverie · fever dream · El Dorado · wonderland · dreamscape · wishful thinking · blue sky thinking · Neverland · Oz
- inattentiondistracted, spacing, absent-minded, distraction, obliviousness
- figurative placeslimbo, crossroads, dead end, comfort zone, happy place
castle in the skysure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
safe bet · bird in the hand · feet on the ground · done deal · calculated risk
castle in the skyfeet on the ground
Realistic and practical mindset
solid foundation · firm footing · terra firma · brass tacks · nuts and bolts
castle in the skyfirm ground
Stable, unyielding surface
terra firma · brass tacks · nitty-gritty · bottom line · harsh truth