Generally speaking, alligator dreams tend to relate to one of two themes: biting criticism, and having a thick skin.
According to dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg, alligator dreams are a common one, and one she has a lot herself. “Across the board, any sort of creature in a dream that has a big mouth, sharp teeth, and is known for biting—like alligators or even sharks—will most often be connected to criticism and biting remarks in real life,” she tells mindbodygreen.
In addition to criticism, alligators literally have thick skin, so she notes that sometimes these dreams relate to how you handle criticism (AKA whether your skin is “thick enough”).
“So you may get an alligator in your dream when like someone is ‘biting your head off,’ so to speak, or they said emotionally wounding things, snapped at you—all these terms we use for harsh remarks that resemble biting,” Loewenberg explains.
But of course, context always matters, and she adds that if you have personal associations with alligators, or even places where alligators are from (i.e. Florida or Louisiana), alligators can show up as a reminder of those personal associations.