Are you looking for a poetic way to tell someone that they’re daydreaming and oblivious to what’s going on in the world? You could say that this person has their “head in the clouds”. Keep reading to learn more about the meaning of this saying, as well as about where it came from.
Meaning
The expression “head in the clouds” means that someone is daydreaming, absent-minded, and distracted. It is often associated with people who are “hopeless optimists”.
The idiom can be used to describe a person’s current mental state, but it may also be used to describe their personality more broadly.
Example Usage
Are you not quite sure how you can put the idiom “head in the clouds” into action? Take a look at these example sentences to help you out:
- “I can’t believe that Kimmy got into medical school! She always had her head in the clouds when she was in grade school, and it’s hard to think of her as a highly-organized and confident adult!”
- “You’ll have to get your head out of the clouds if you want to succeed!”
- “People who always have their head in the clouds often excel in jobs that require compassion and people skills.”
Origin
The phrase “head in the clouds” was first used to describe absent-minded, daydreaming, people — people disconnected from reality — in the 1600s.
The phrase has stuck around, and become a common idiom, precisely because “head in the clouds” serves as a powerful visual metaphor.
Clouds are associated with heaven, as well as fog and fuzziness, and clouds are also high up in the sky. Someone with their “head in the clouds” has lost sight of the reality on the ground, and has entered a dream-like state.
The phrase has only become more popular over time — and remains very common in the twenty-first century. There is now a “head in the clouds” emoji, for example.
The term “head cloud” has also emerged, as a way to describe the fatigue and mental fog that people may feel when they are sleep deprived or ill.
Telling someone that they have their head in the clouds is value-neutral — it is more of a descriptor than a positive or negative term.
Phrases Similar to Head in the Clouds
If you don’t want to say that someone has their head in the clouds, you could also opt to use these words and phrases instead:
- Daydreaming
- Distracted
- Dreamy
- (When addressing someone with their head in the clouds) Hello, Earth to [name]!
Phrases Opposite to Head in the Clouds
Someone who has their head in the clouds is absent-minded or daydreaming. Such a person isn’t present in the moment. Phrases that denote the opposite of having your head in the clouds include:
- Down to Earth
- Based
- Feet on the ground
When you arrive at the other extreme — someone is actively hiding from an unpleasant reality — you can say that that person has their “head in the sand”.
What Is the Correct Saying?
The correct saying is “head in the clouds”. It means that someone is daydreaming or distracted, and is disconnected from reality.
Ways People May Say Head in the Clouds Incorrectly
It would be incorrect to use the saying “head in the clouds” to describe someone who is on an airplane, and is close to physically having their head in the clouds. This idiom is a metaphor that means the person is daydreaming and has lost sight of the current moment.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Head in the Clouds
You could use the phrase “head in the clouds” to describe the mental state of someone who is distracted and daydreaming in the current moment — something that happens to all of us sometimes.
The saying can also be used to describe a person’s overall personality — someone with their head chronically in the clouds is likely to be an optimistic and idealistic daydreamer for whom reality doesn’t mean much.