ENGLISH
REFERENCE

castle in the air

idiom
Meaning

A desire, idea, or plan that is unlikely to ever be realized; a visionary project or scheme; a daydream, an idle fancy, a near impossibility.


Examples
SIMPLE

He builds castles in the air instead of working.

CONTEXTUAL

She spends all her time planning a luxury trip she cannot afford, building castles in the air.

COMPLEX

The young inventor spent his youth building castles in the air, ignoring the practical limitations that ultimately doomed his ambitious project.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    air one's dirty laundry in public

    To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

  2. 02

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

  3. 03

    air out

    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

  4. 04

    air rage

    Aggressive, disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

  5. 05

    air sandwich

    A strategy that has high-level direction and low-level operations, but little in the middle.

  6. 06

    blow hot air

    To engage in empty or exaggerated talk that lacks substance, credibility, or truth; to bluster.

  7. 07

    breath of fresh air

    Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

  8. 08

    build castles in the air

    To have any desire, idea, or plan that is unlikely to be realized; to imagine visionary projects or schemes; to have an idle fancy or a pipe dream; to daydream.

© 2026 English Reference