makebelieve
Children's imagined worlds
Makebelieve is imaginative play or fantasy, especially among children who pretend things are real: The kids were lost in makebelieve, fighting dragons in the backyard.
As an adjective, it describes things that exist only in imagination: a makebelieve world, makebelieve friends.
Usually hyphenated (make-believe) or written as two words.
Misleading sensory impression
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
sham · pretense · fakery · trickery · deception · charade · facade · masquerade
Imaginative childhood roleplay
- dress-upPlay involving costumes
- tea partyAfternoon refreshment gathering
- imaginary friendMade-up childhood confidant
- dollhouseMiniature toy residence
puppet · costume · role-play · playtime · sandbox · pillow fort · superhero cape · toy sword
Conscious fantasy while awake
- fantasy worldFictional magical setting
- wishful thinkingBelief shaped by desire
- reverieAbstracted, pleasant daydream
- pipe dreamUnrealistic aspiration
castles in the air · dreamland · never-never land · utopia · alternate reality · flights of fancy · head in the clouds · wool-gathering
illusion
Misleading sensory impression
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
falsehood · sham · pretense · fakery · trickery · deception · charade · facade · masquerade · ruse
pretend play
Imaginative childhood roleplay
- dress-upPlay involving costumes
- tea partyAfternoon refreshment gathering
- imaginary friendMade-up childhood confidant
dollhouse · puppet · costume · role-play · playtime · sandbox · pillow fort · superhero cape · toy sword · princess crown
daydream
Conscious fantasy while awake
- fantasy worldFictional magical setting
- wishful thinkingBelief shaped by desire
- reverieAbstracted, pleasant daydream
pipe dream · castles in the air · dreamland · never-never land · utopia · alternate reality · flights of fancy · head in the clouds · wool-gathering · mental escape
fairy tale
Magical children's narrative
enchantment · sorcery · magic kingdom · elf · mermaid · goblin · troll · dwarf · pixie · fairy
makebelieverealism
Accepting things as they are
empiricism · pragmatism · clear-eyed · grounded · down-to-earth
make, maker, making, homemade, remake, makes, make-believe, makings, makers