Getting paid a whole lot to do not a whole hell of a lot.
Person 1: Man, I don't want to go to work today. I just want to get paid to sit on my ass.
Person 2: Ahhh, the American Dream lives on.
by maryla January 7, 2008
Get the the american dream mug.
A fairytale designed to make people conform, spend money they don't have on stuff they don't need , work for less pay, and think someday they can have everything they want.

Bait and switch
I thought my degree could help me get a job and i could live the American Dream. Now, no one will hire me and i owe $100,000.00 in student loans.
Fuck you! American Dream.
by Fffffcough February 4, 2014
Get the American Dream mug.
the ideal American life as fed by the media; 2.3 children, white picket fences surrounding a split-level house with a dog and a cat, and a station wagon or a minivan to take the kids to sports practice; impossible by its' nature
"The reason it's called the American Dream is you have to be asleep to believe it." -- George Carlin
by Shawn E. April 27, 2003
Get the American Dream mug.
A) to sue someone for something incredibly stupid and live off the money.
B) to otherwise make a lot of money for not a lot of effort, and spend the rest of your life being rich and getting plastic surgery.
Johnny was biking in the park and he ran into a tree. He sued the council and got 10 mil. He's living the American Dream.
by newzealandboi February 13, 2004
Get the american dream mug.
An idea created by American society trying to make people believe anyone could be anything. Strange how all the US presidents have been in the upper 1% of society (in class-financial terms).
by Brendan September 19, 2003
Get the American Dream mug.
An image originally created in the late 1950's and 1960's. Innocent by nature but commonly deplored by those who cannot achieve it or don't agree with capitolism.

The stereotypical American Dream is to marry that perfect someone, move into the classical surburan house, with a front yard, a garage & drive way, a white picket fence. You have a dog, a cat, and several kids. On weekends and summers you barbeque in your yard while your kids play on a tire swing and build a tree fort. Sometimes the American Dream is associated with the Corvette which is commonly known as the American Dream Car, because of it's long legacy of American muscle and great performance.

These assests are ideally attained by working hard to someday become financially stable enough to afford simple luxuries without worrying about it. This does not mean that you become rich suddenly, or buy the fastest car upright, it means that as you work hard over time, you get more money and improve on what you already have. Such as moving into a larger home, buying a faster car, and being able to support an additional child.
My version of the American Dream is to become a civil engineer, marry my highschool sweat heart, buy a nice sized Spanish styled house in San Diego, CA and drive a new 2005 Mustang.
by Andrew Hernandez November 28, 2004
Get the American Dream mug.
Depending on the context, either a 60-month, low APR, zero money down delusion of upward mobility; or a television-induced, straight-line reduced, quick-fix diluted futility.
"Todd the textile worker had to trade in his American Dream for a cardboard box because his corporate-owned government sent his job to China."
by burmaslave January 6, 2004
Get the American Dream mug.