- The dream dictionary has 41 symbols starting with B.
- The most searched of them are being pregnant, bear, being shot.
- Every symbol is read three ways: folk dream books, psychology and sleep research.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
Most searched dreams starting with B
Being pregnantBodyA dream about being pregnant is traditionally read as something growing: a plan, a project or a change that is not yet visible. Psychology reads it the same way, as a new part of yourself taking shape, and research finds pregnancy dreams most common in people who are pregnant or thinking about it.BearAnimalsA dream about a bear is traditionally read as a powerful rival or an overwhelming force, and killing the bear as escape from an entanglement. Psychology reads the bear as raw strength and, in Jungian terms, the mother in her fierce form; research lists the bear among the large animals that appear in threat dreams.Being shotActionsA dream about being shot is traditionally read as a sudden blow from someone you trusted: sharp words, betrayal, a loss that comes without warning. Psychology reads the shot as an attack the dreamer feels defenceless against, and research places being attacked among the most common themes of nightmares.BeesAnimalsA dream about bees is traditionally read as one of the good ones: work that pays, a busy household, gain from a friendly source. Psychology reads the bee as productive energy and the swarm as the pressure of many small demands, and research finds insects among the most frequent animals in dreams, usually with a sting of anxiety.Broken toothBodyA dream about a broken tooth is traditionally read as a loss that is partial rather than complete: damage to health, standing or a relationship that can still be repaired. Psychology reads teeth as confidence and the face shown to others, and a crack as that confidence giving way, while research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Black catAnimalsA dream about a black cat is traditionally read through the old superstition: ill luck, a false friend or a warning, unless the cat is driven off. Psychology reads the cat as independence and the feminine, and its black colour as the part of that the dreamer distrusts, while research finds cats among the most common animals in dreams and the fear of black cats a purely cultural inheritance.
All symbols starting with B
BabyPeopleA dream about a baby is traditionally read as a new beginning, and Miller adds that a bright, clean baby means love returned while a crying one means ill health. Psychology reads the baby as new potential in the dreamer, and research shows new parents dream vividly and anxiously about infants.BananaFoodA dream about bananas is read by Miller as an uninteresting partnership or a tiresome business, yet later folk readers take it as abundance, health and playfulness. Psychology reads the banana as a food symbol with obvious bodily associations, and research ties food dreams to hunger.BasementHome and placesA dream about a basement is traditionally read as a look at what is hidden or stored away: old memories, fears and things you would rather not face. Psychology reads the basement as the lower, less visible level of the self.BasketballActionsA dream about basketball is traditionally read as competition and teamwork, with scoring meaning success and missing meaning a setback. Psychology reads the game as ambition, cooperation and the fear of failing in front of others, and research shows sports dreams follow the dreamer's waking activities.BatAnimalsA dream about bats is traditionally read as a warning: Miller calls the bat a sign of sorrow and calamity, and European folklore ties it to night and witchcraft. Psychology reads it as fear of the dark and unseen, and research places flying animals among common threat dreams.BathHome and placesA dream about a bath is traditionally read by the water: clear and cold brings good news, warm or muddy brings trouble. Psychology reads bathing as cleansing and a wish to start over, and research links such dreams to bodily sensations and the day's residue.BathroomHome and placesA dream about a bathroom is traditionally read as cleansing and release: washing away trouble, or a need for privacy. Psychology treats it as the place where you deal with what is unwanted, and research shows the body often writes a full bladder into the dream.BeansFoodA dream about beans is traditionally read as a warning: Miller calls it a bad dream of worry and illness, while other folk books read beans as small money and small quarrels. Psychology treats beans as potential in a humble shell, and research sees food as ordinary dream material.BearAnimalsA dream about a bear is traditionally read as a powerful rival or an overwhelming force, and killing the bear as escape from an entanglement. Psychology reads the bear as raw strength and, in Jungian terms, the mother in her fierce form; research lists the bear among the large animals that appear in threat dreams.BedHome and placesA dream about a bed is traditionally read by its condition: clean and white for peace and relief from worries, a strange bed for unexpected visitors. Psychology reads the bed as rest, intimacy and vulnerability, and research ties it to the sleeper's own surroundings.Bed bugsAnimalsA dream about bed bugs is traditionally read as revolting complications in daily life and trouble from carelessness. Psychology reads them as something that invades your most private space, and research ties such dreams to disgust and real bodily sensations in sleep.BeesAnimalsA dream about bees is traditionally read as one of the good ones: work that pays, a busy household, gain from a friendly source. Psychology reads the bee as productive energy and the swarm as the pressure of many small demands, and research finds insects among the most frequent animals in dreams, usually with a sting of anxiety.Being blindBodyA dream about being blind is traditionally read as a sudden loss, and seeing a blind person as someone worthy asking for help. Psychology reads blindness as refusing to see something, and research notes that dreams of failing senses often follow real fatigue, anxiety or the eyes' own state during sleep.Being chasedActionsA dream about being chased is traditionally read as running from a threat or a duty; folk books say the chaser shows where the danger lies. Psychology reads it as avoidance of something the dreamer will not face; research ranks it among the most common dreams in every culture studied.Being kidnappedActionsA dream about being kidnapped is traditionally read as losing control of your own affairs to someone else. Psychology treats it as a part of life being taken over, by a person, a job or a fear, and research classes abduction among the threat dreams the brain rehearses.Being killedActionsA dream about being killed is traditionally read by opposites: a long life, or the end of one chapter and the start of another. Psychology reads it as a part of you being overwhelmed or forcibly changed, and research places being killed among the common typical dreams, a product of the mind's threat rehearsal.Being lateActionsA dream about being late is read as pressure and fear of missing out: duties you feel you are neglecting or a chance slipping away. Research counts arriving too late among the typical dreams, and it often follows real deadlines.Being lostActionsA dream about being lost is traditionally read as a warning that the dreamer has strayed from the right path in some matter. Psychology reads it as uncertainty about a decision or a role, and research counts it among the most common dream themes in the world.Being nakedBodyA dream about being naked is traditionally read as scandal, exposure or an unwise commitment. Freud made it one of his typical dreams and read it as a return to childhood freedom mixed with shame, and research confirms nudity in public is among the most commonly reported dreams.Being pregnantBodyA dream about being pregnant is traditionally read as something growing: a plan, a project or a change that is not yet visible. Psychology reads it the same way, as a new part of yourself taking shape, and research finds pregnancy dreams most common in people who are pregnant or thinking about it.Being robbedActionsA dream about being robbed is traditionally read as a warning about trust and a loss that, by the old rule of opposites, may turn to gain. Psychology reads it as something taken from you: time, energy, safety or identity. Research places such dreams among common threat rehearsals.Being shotActionsA dream about being shot is traditionally read as a sudden blow from someone you trusted: sharp words, betrayal, a loss that comes without warning. Psychology reads the shot as an attack the dreamer feels defenceless against, and research places being attacked among the most common themes of nightmares.Being stabbedActionsA dream about being stabbed is traditionally read as betrayal: a wound from someone close, words that cut. Psychology reads the knife as intimacy turned hostile, and research places attack dreams among the most common threat scenarios the sleeping brain rehearses.BicycleTravel and transportA dream about a bicycle is traditionally read as progress that depends on your own effort and balance. Psychology sees the bicycle as self-propelled direction: how you keep your balance, how fast you go and whether you trust yourself.BirdAnimalsA dream about birds is traditionally read as news and freedom: Miller calls flying birds a sign of prosperity and a wounded bird a deep sorrow. Psychology reads birds as thoughts, spirit and the wish to rise above; research adds that birds are the most common wild animal in dreams.BirthdayPeopleA dream about a birthday is read in the old books as a gloomy sign, yet modern readings see it as a marker of time, age and how you feel about change. Psychology asks who is being celebrated, who is present, and whether you feel seen.Black catAnimalsA dream about a black cat is traditionally read through the old superstition: ill luck, a false friend or a warning, unless the cat is driven off. Psychology reads the cat as independence and the feminine, and its black colour as the part of that the dreamer distrusts, while research finds cats among the most common animals in dreams and the fear of black cats a purely cultural inheritance.Black dogAnimalsA dream about a black dog is traditionally read by its manner: a friendly dog is loyalty, a vicious one enemies and misfortune, and folklore adds the black dog as an omen of death or depression. Psychology reads it as the shadow, and research finds dogs among the most frequent dream animals.Black pantherAnimalsA dream about a black panther is traditionally read as a hidden enemy or a broken promise, favourable only if you overcome the animal. Psychology treats the panther as power and instinct kept in the dark, and research places big cats among the classic threatening animals of dreams.Black snakeAnimalsA dream about a black snake is traditionally read as a hidden threat or a heavy, unspoken feeling: the snake's warning, darkened. Psychology reads the colour as the unknown rather than evil, and research finds snakes among the most frequent threatening animals in dreams worldwide.Black widowAnimalsA dream about a black widow is traditionally read as a hidden danger from a woman, or from a relationship in which one partner consumes the other. Psychology reads the spider as a feared feminine power and a trap of one's own making, and research counts spiders among the commonest fear images in dreams.BlanketMoney and objectsA dream about a blanket is traditionally read by its condition: a clean, new one speaks of comfort and success, a soiled one of treachery. Psychology reads a blanket as a wish for security, and research ties such images to bodily warmth during sleep.BloodBodyA dream about blood is traditionally read as a warning: dream books tie it to enemies, illness and strained affairs. Psychology reads blood as life force, family ties and strong feeling; research adds that blood dreams often follow injury, illness or vivid news.BoatTravel and transportA dream about a boat is traditionally read by the water beneath it: clear water for bright prospects, rough water for cares and changes. Psychology reads a boat as how you carry yourself through your feelings and a life transition.BoyfriendLove and relationshipsA dream about your boyfriend usually mirrors how you feel about the relationship, not what he will do. Dream books read it as a comment on love, while psychology and sleep research point to your recent emotions and the events of the day.BreadFoodA dream about bread is traditionally read as a sign of sustenance, daily needs met and the work that feeds a household. Psychology reads bread as basic security and care, with mouldy or missing bread pointing to worry about provision.BridgeTravel and transportA dream about a bridge is traditionally read as a crossing between difficulty and relief: a safe crossing means surmounting problems, a bridge that gives way a warning of treachery. Psychology reads it as a transition between two stages of life.Broken glassMoney and objectsA dream about broken glass is traditionally read as something fragile coming to an end: a hope, a promise, an enterprise. Psychology reads it as a barrier shattered or an illusion seen through, and research places the sound of breaking among the sensory details that enter dreams most easily.Broken toothBodyA dream about a broken tooth is traditionally read as a loss that is partial rather than complete: damage to health, standing or a relationship that can still be repaired. Psychology reads teeth as confidence and the face shown to others, and a crack as that confidence giving way, while research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.BusTravel and transportA dream about a bus is usually read as a picture of your direction in life and your place among other people. Missing it suggests worry about timing, riding it suggests going along with shared plans, and research ties such scenes to current responsibilities.ButterflyAnimalsA dream about butterflies is traditionally read as good news and a light, changeable happiness: prosperity among flowers, word from absent friends. Psychology reads the butterfly as change completed, and research places it among the pleasant animal images that follow a day outdoors.
How to use the dream dictionary
- Recall the most vivid image of the dream: the thing, the animal, the person or the action.
- Find it by letter or in the search; a plural or a variation leads to the same page.
- Read the three readings and the variations, then note how you felt in the dream.
Questions people ask
Which dream symbols start with B?
All of them are listed on this page in alphabetical order, with a short traditional reading next to each. Open a symbol for the full page.
Why are some symbols missing?
The dictionary grows in batches, starting with the most searched symbols. A symbol appears only when its page is complete.
Sources
- Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901.
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899.
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964.
- Artemidorus. Oneirocritica, 2nd century.
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966.
- Schredl M. Dream research: an introduction, in various editions.
How this page is made
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each comes from. A symbol is published only when its page has a full description with sources. Search volumes decide which symbols are written first.