dream up

invent something creative or unusual in your mind

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What does "dream sth up" mean?

To dream something up is to invent or devise it through imagination — often producing an idea that is ambitious, eccentric, or difficult to believe. The phrase carries a subtle tone of scepticism or amusement, suggesting the idea is more the product of fantasy than sober reasoning. It is frequently used when a speaker is mildly surprised or entertained by how outlandish a concept is: a quirky marketing campaign, an implausible excuse, or a far-fetched business scheme. Unlike more neutral alternatives, 'dream up' implies a certain creative flair — for better or worse. It works naturally in both spoken commentary and journalistic writing, especially in rhetorical questions like 'Who on earth dreamed that up?'

Examples

How to use it

dream up + object

The most common structure, used when the object is a longer noun phrase and does not need to be separated.

The agency dreamed up a bizarre concept involving trained parrots delivering discount vouchers.

dream + object + up

When the object is a short noun phrase, it often sits between 'dream' and 'up', especially in informal speech.

She dreamed the whole scheme up on the train home and presented it the next morning.

dream + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must always be placed between 'dream' and 'up' — never after 'up'.

That excuse is so outlandish — did he actually dream it up himself?

be dreamed up + by + agent

The passive is natural and common, particularly when the speaker wants to highlight surprise or scepticism about the idea's origin.

The entire rebranding strategy was dreamed up by a twenty-three-year-old with no industry experience.

Who / What + dreamed up + object?

Rhetorical questions are a particularly characteristic use, conveying disbelief or dry amusement at an idea.

Who exactly dreamed up the idea of a mandatory team-building retreat on a remote island?

Common Collocations

dream up an ideadream up a schemedream up an excusedream up a plandream up a storydream up a concept

Common Mistakes

Using it for ordinary, practical ideas

'Dream up' implies imagination, eccentricity, or implausibility — it sounds unnatural when applied to routine or sensible ideas. For straightforward thinking, 'come up with' is the better choice.

✗ The finance team dreamed up a new filing system for expense reports.
✓ The finance team came up with a new filing system for expense reports.
Confusing it with 'make up'

'Make up' stresses deliberate fabrication or falsehood, while 'dream up' emphasises imaginative or creative invention without implying dishonesty. Choosing the wrong one can change the meaning significantly.

✗ He dreamed up an alibi to mislead the investigators.
✓ He made up an alibi to mislead the investigators.
Pronoun placed after 'up'

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'dream' and 'up', not after 'up'. Placing a pronoun after the particle is not grammatically acceptable with separable phrasal verbs.

✗ The concept is wild — who dreamed up it?
✓ The concept is wild — who dreamed it up?

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral to informal and works in both speech and writing. It often carries a mildly sceptical tone, implying the idea is imaginative but possibly unrealistic or eccentric.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'dream up' always sound sceptical or negative?

Not always, but it often carries a mildly amused or sceptical tone, suggesting the idea is creative rather than conventional. In some contexts it can be genuinely admiring — 'Only she could have dreamed up something so inventive' — though the hint of eccentricity is usually still present. If you want a completely neutral tone, 'come up with' is safer.

What kinds of things can you 'dream up'? Are there limits?

The most natural objects are imaginative or unusual in some way: schemes, concepts, excuses, theories, campaigns, plots, or stories with a hint of the far-fetched. It sounds odd with purely functional or mundane objects like 'a timetable' or 'a budget', because those lack the creative or eccentric quality the phrasal verb implies.

Can 'dream up' be used in the passive?

Yes, the passive is very natural with 'dream up' and appears frequently in journalistic and spoken English. It works especially well when the speaker wants to cast mild doubt on who was responsible for an idea: 'The policy was dreamed up by a committee that had never consulted the people affected.'

Is 'dream up' suitable for formal writing?

It leans towards the informal end of the spectrum and is most at home in speech, commentary, and journalism. While it does appear in serious writing for stylistic effect — particularly when the writer wants to imply scepticism — it would be out of place in academic or legal contexts. In formal writing, opt for 'devise' or 'conceive'.

Can I use 'dream up' without a specific object, just to say someone invented something?

'Dream up' always requires an object, even if it is a general pronoun like 'it' or 'something'. You cannot use it without any object at all — for example, 'She dreamed up' alone is incomplete. You would need to say 'She dreamed it up' or 'She dreamed up something extraordinary.'

Related Phrasal Verbs

make sth up
think sth up
conjure sth up

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