Dreamed vs Dreamt
Published January 19, 2023. Updated January 19, 2023.
Dreamed and dreamt are two words that quite literally have the same meaning. However, their uses do differ in some areas, especially in the regions in which they are spoken or written. By definition, both dreamed and dreamt can be defined as “the past tense of the verb to dream.” In terms of usage, dreamt is much more common in British English and is commonly used in the United Kingdom.
Here are examples and definitions to show you some other subtle difference between each word.
Dreamed (verb)
The past tense of the verb dream.
Examples:
Last night, I dreamed that I was flying on a dream vacation to Italy.
The dog dreamed of chasing cars all night, so he ran and barked for hours in his sleep.
In some cases, dreamed is the preferred version of the verb when describing a situation involving a dream where the duration of it is key to the understanding of the sentence.
Dreamt (verb)
Examples:
For decades, he dreamt of reaching the Olympics, and his hard work and effort finally paid off.
I have always dreamt of living in a house with two stories.
While dreamt is of course the past tense of dream, it is also more common to use it when the dreamer is describing a hope, an ambition, or a future goal.
Main Points
- Dreamed is the past tense of dream and is best used when describing a dream where the duration of it is necessary to understanding the sentence.
- Dreamt is the past tense of dream and is best used when describing a hope, ambition, or future goal.
- While both words are interchangeable, it is important to note that each has a more specific usage depending on its context.
- Remember that in British English, dreamt is the widely used version of the verb, so you will likely see this in every context.