impossible dream
Unattainable aspiration pursued
An impossible dream is an aspiration so ambitious or idealistic that it seems unattainable—yet the dreamer pursues it anyway.
The phrase carries romantic or noble connotations, suggesting the goal matters more than the odds: Fighting climate change feels like an impossible dream, but we have to try.
The expression gained currency from the song "The Impossible Dream" in the 1965 musical *Man of La Mancha*.
- unhopefulLacking positive expectations
- unobtainableImpossible to acquire
- beyond reachUnable to obtain
- pie in the skyUnrealistic hope or plan
- unreachableCannot be accessed
Don Quixote · chimera · unattainable · Sisyphean · black swan · quixotic · castle in the air · ambition · reach for the stars · tilting at windmills · courage · inspiration · mirage · utopia · futile · holy grail · promised land · improbability
- impracticalitiesimpracticality, pie in the sky, castle in the air, fool's errand, wild goose chase
- long shotslong shot, longshot, long odds, dark horse, underdog
- dream phrasesdaydream, nightmare
- underdog storiesunderdog, comeback, long shot, dark horse, upset victory
- wisheswish, make a wish, wish granted, wish fulfillment, wish list
- CervantesDon Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, Sancho Panza, Cervantes, Rocinante
impossible dreamsure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
low-hanging fruit · done deal · safe bet · reasonable expectation · foregone conclusion
impossible, dream, possible, possibly, possibility, impossibly, impossibility, dreams, dreamed