Meaning
To be dreamy, absent-minded, or out of touch with practical reality; said of someone absorbed in imagination, lofty ideas, or romantic notions at the expense of everyday facts. Usually mild, affectionate criticism rather than a serious insult. Neutral-to-humorous tone; gentle mockery of impracticality rather than stupidity. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The metaphor is old. Etymonline records 'in the clouds' in the figurative sense 'removed from earthly things; obscure, fanciful, unreal' from the 1640s, and Christine Ammer's dictionary of idioms likewise notes that 'in the clouds' has meant obscure or fanciful since the mid-seventeenth century. The fuller form with 'head' developed as a fixed idiom on this established base; none of the sources consulted offers a definitive first citation for the complete phrase, so the 1640s date underpins the metaphor rather than the exact modern headword. The image exploits the ancient opposition between the heavens (the seat of daydreams and divinity) and the earth (the realm of practical affairs).
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- be up in the clouds
- have one's head in the clouds
- head in the clouds
- living with your head in the clouds
- with your head in the clouds
Usage Examples
- You can suggest a budget to Marcus, but he has his head in the clouds about what things actually cost.
- With her head in the clouds, Nora drove past the motorway exit twice.
- Critics accused the planners of having their heads in the clouds when they proposed a car-free city centre.