Skip to main content
Urban Dictionary Merch
Your favorite words on things you can wear, drink from, read, or give to a friend.
The Urban Dictionary Store sells gifts you’ll have to explain.

Maladaptive Daydreaming 

A term used to describe some or all of the following symptoms:

- Excessive daydreaming, to the point where one cannot, or has difficulties with, functioning properly in real life

- Purposeful removal of oneself from situations that interrupt, prevent or otherwise disrupt daydreaming

- Creation of various storylines within daydreams, usually filling the holes in one’s own life (arousal, feeling of purpose, heroism, a social life, etc.)

- Tiredness (often caused by preventing oneself from sleeping so there is more time to daydream)

- Inability, or hindered ability, to maintain focus on real life scenarios in favor of daydreaming

Maladaptive Daydreaming is often associated with other, official terms, such as depression, ADHD, PTSD, schizophrenia and more.

There is no prescription to take in order to solve maladaptive daydreaming. The best solution is to seek professional therapy. Therapy isn’t as scary as it sounds; they ask what the problem is, and then work with you to develop a solution. They will never judge you, and have several degrees on how to deal with these kinds of situations. If therapy is not an option, alternative solutions would be to create a vent for your ideas and desires to flow into (keeping a journal, sharing ideas with friends, achieving real life goals, etc.).

If you searched this because you think you have maladaptive daydreaming, please don’t ignore it. It can ruin your life.
“I think I have maladaptive daydreaming....”

maldation 

To be in a state of malding, in which you are mad and balding at the same time. This is generally a negative emotion, and generally happens when you are losing in a video game, thus causing you to lose your mind.
Hey man, how's your day going?
Oh well, you know, it's Maldation Monday, so it's going pretty bad...
maldation by 8K Deathy December 7, 2020

Maladaptive Daydreaming 

Maladaptive Daydreaming is a medical condition in which a person will obsessively and uncontrollable daydream, this can be triggered from music, stories or nothing.
These Daydreams usually include: an idealised self, violence, rescue, capture, arousal, trauma, etc.
Most Maladaptive Daydreamer's have multiple worlds in there head, but all know that they aren't real.
''What is he doing?''
''Just Maladaptive Daydreaming.''

maladaptive daydreamer

One who daydreams aloud. The body forgets to differentiate between reality and the illusion.
Talking, laughing, pacing, etc are often apart of the actions the body takes on to act out the daydream. Unlike Schizophrenia, a Maladaptive Daydreamer knows that it is only a daydream and can often control when they have them.
She paces in her room talking and laughing even though she's completely alone. She must be a Maladaptive Daydreamer.
maladaptive daydreamer by CaveMoss November 4, 2014

maladaptive daydreaming 

When a person spends a big majority of their time just daydreaming. A person will actively move around daydreaming and music is a big trigger for it. There is no certain medication for it because doctors have just recently been studying it and are looking for a medication that would suit it best. People with Maladaptive daydreaming are often lazy because they would rather daydream. The daydreams are usually them in different situations with different people. They will daydream about what they wish they had in life such as maybe a girlfriend, a new friend, or just doing something cool in general. People with maladaptive daydreaming are often shy and don't have much of a social life.
Why does Tommy move around and listen to music all the time?

He must have maladaptive daydreaming

National Maladaptive Daydreaming Day 

Maladaptive Daydreaming Day/MD day is a day where we share what MD is and help others know that they aren't alone and aren't crazy but are normal. This day is on October 25th
Them: Hey Bob this might be weird but I daydream and it gets out of hand to the point where I'm walking, laughing, or crying by my daydreams and they can last for hours.

Bob: hey that's perfectly normal and you arent weird! Ironically today is National Maladaptive Daydreaming day where we let people know they aren't alone or crazy.

Them: wait so there are more people like me?!

Bob: yes and you shouldn't bring yourself down for it!
More from Urban Dictionary
The number of years you are still sexually active
While our lifespan is the number of years we will live, our healthspan is the number of healthy years we will have and our sexspan is is the number of years we will continue to be healthy enough to continue having an active sex life.
sexspan by Dr Kat April 21, 2022
Word of the Day on October 28, 2026
A lighthearted reaction upon receiving disappointing news of some sort. Usually something that isn't a particularly a big deal, esp. when it primarily affects someone else - sort of a mild schadenfreude. Sometimes doubled or tripled, and possibly said in a sing-songy voice for added comedic effect to imitate a muted trumpet, which is how the meme originated.
You didn't get any napkins with your takeout pork fried rice? Womp womp.
womp by 175623226 November 3, 2011
Word of the Day on October 27, 2026
When your wife’s boyfriend let you sleep past 8pm 😎😎
Wife’s boyfriend: You have 5 more minutes
Me: Poggers!
Poggers by Just_Charles April 14, 2020
Word of the Day on October 26, 2026

Oblication 

A vacation, feeling more like an obligation, that involves visiting or staying with family.
So Joe where are you taking the kids for spring break vacation? We are going on an oblication to Boca to visit my mother-in-law.
Oblication by kimmerr May 5, 2011
Word of the Day on October 25, 2026

Surf Dracula Syndrome 

A phenomenon in film/television series, most notably streaming series, where the main premise is drawn out to such a point that it takes an entire season or more to get the parts of the series the audience is actually interested in seeing.

For example, if a series is titled "Surf Dracula," a majority of viewers would tune in expecting to see Dracula surfing by the first or second episode. However, the entire first season would instead be tedious padding and backstory before finally ending with Dracula surfing in the last five minutes of the season finale.
I watched "Smallville" on Netflix the other day. Dude, it was ten seasons of filler before he finally flew! Major Surf Dracula Syndrome!
Word of the Day on October 24, 2026

Northstarring

Finding your way back to the truth by fixing on one verified fact and working out from there, the way you navigate by the North Star when everything around you is spinning.
Rumours were flying everywhere, so she went northstarring — one checked fact at a time.
Northstarring by Light Bearer October 22, 2026
Word of the Day on October 23, 2026
Load more