castle in the air

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɑːs(ə)l ɪn ðiː ˈɛə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkæs(ə)l ɪn ði ˈɛəɹ/ Hyphenation: cas‧tle in the air === Noun === castle in the air (plural castles in the air) (idiomatic) 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. [from mid 16th c.] Synonyms: air castle, castles in Spain, castle in the skies, eggs in moonshine, jam tomorrow, pie in the sky, pipe dream Antonyms: terra firma, solid ground Coordinate terms: terra incognita, uncharted territory, uncharted waters ==== Usage notes ==== In completing the metaphor, one is said to form or build a castle in the air. ==== Derived terms ==== build air castles build castles in the air ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === References === John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “castle in the air”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN. === Further reading === Castle in the Air (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia