blue-sky thinking
A form of thinking that is not grounded or in touch with the realities of the present, and can thus benefit from creative imagination.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The team did some blue-sky thinking to find new ideas.”
“In our meeting, we spent an hour on blue-sky thinking before we looked at costs.”
“The architect encouraged blue-sky thinking at the early stage, knowing that practical constraints would inevitably narrow the vision later.”
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thinking cap
A metaphorical state of focused thinking or concentration, invoked to encourage problem-solving.
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thinking man's
Of someone or something, appealing to intelligent or intellectually inclined individuals.
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way of thinking
An opinion; a viewpoint.
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what was someone thinking
Used to express disappointment about someone's uncharacteristic or abnormal past actions.
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wishful thinking
The formation of beliefs based on an outcome that aligns with one's desires or hopes, while disregarding evidence, rationality, or reality.
Last updated August 10, 2026