wishful thoughts
Dreams without action
Wishful thoughts are hopes or desires mistaken for realistic expectations—thinking something is true or possible mainly because you want it to be.
The phrase overlaps with wishful thinking but emphasizes the mental content rather than the cognitive habit: She dismissed his optimism as wishful thoughts.
- desiresStrong wants or cravings
- longingsIntense persistent desires
- castles in the airFanciful, impractical schemes
- hopesPositive expectations held
- yearningsIntense, sustained desires
aspirations · hoping · dream big · pipe dreams · pie in the sky · fantasies · imagination · escapism · magical thinking · nostalgia · optimism · daydreams · self-delusion · reverie · flight of fancy · rose-colored glasses · someday · silver lining
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