The idiom "castles in the air" refers to something that is unrealistic or impossible to achieve. There are several synonyms that can be used in place of this phrase, such as pie in the sky, a pipe dream, a fantasy, a flight of fancy, or a wild dream. Each of these expressions conveys a sense of something that is fanciful or imagined, but not based in reality. While it's natural to have grand aspirations and to dream big, it's also important to ground those ambitions in reality and take practical steps towards achieving them. Otherwise, our castles in the air may remain nothing more than fanciful dreams.