imagine

American  

[ih-maj-in] / ɪˈmædʒ ɪn /

verb (used with object)

• imagines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• imagined,
  past participle,  past
• imagining
  present participle

1. to form a mental image of (something not actually present to the senses).

   Synonyms:

   picture, image

2. to think, believe, or fancy.

   He imagined the house was haunted.

3. to assume; suppose.

   I imagine they'll be here soon.

4. to conjecture; guess.

   I cannot imagine what you mean.

5. Archaic. to plan, scheme, or plot.

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verb (used without object)

• imagines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• imagined,
  past participle,  past
• imagining
  present participle

1. to form mental images of things not present to the senses; use the imagination.

2. to suppose; think; conjecture.

imagine British  

/ ɪˈmædʒɪn /

verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to form a mental image of

2. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to think, believe, or guess

3. (tr; takes a clause as object) to suppose; assume

   I imagine he'll come

4. (tr; takes a clause as object) to believe or assume without foundation

   he imagines he knows the whole story

5. an archaic word for plot 1

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1. Also: imagine that!. an exclamation of surprise

Usage

What does imagine mean? To imagine is to form a mental likeness of something or someone not present, as in Imagine flying in a rocket to Mars. To imagine also means to think of something, especially in a way that it is not currently, as in Imagine what the house might look like after all these years. To imagine is also to assume, as in Oh dear, the teacher imagined that we all did our homework. Finally, to imagine can mean to guess, as in Can you imagine what it would be like for it to snow in the summer?Example: I can’t imagine they will take much longer, so we should just wait here.

Synonym Usage

Imagine, conceive, conceive of, realize refer to bringing something before the mind. To imagine is, literally, to form a mental image of something: to imagine yourself in London. To conceive is to form something by using one's imagination: How has the author conceived the first act of his play? To conceive of is to comprehend through the intellect something not perceived through the senses: Wilson conceived of a world free from war. To realize is to make an imagined thing real or concrete to oneself, to grasp fully its implications: to realize the extent of one's folly.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imaginer
  noun
• preimagine
  verb (used with object)
• reimagine
  verb (used with object)
• imaginable
  adjective
• unimagined
  adjective
• well-imagined
  adjective
• imaginably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• imagining
  present
• imagined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• imagine
  simple
• imagines
  simple
• have imagined
  perfect
• has imagined
  perfect
• am imagining
  progressive
• are imagining
  progressive
• is imagining
  progressive
• have been imagining
  perfect progressive
• has been imagining
  perfect progressive

Past

• imagined
  simple
• had imagined
  perfect
• was imagining
  progressive
• were imagining
  progressive
• had been imagining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will imagine
  simple
• will have imagined
  perfect
• will be imagining
  progressive
• will have been imagining
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of imagine

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English imaginen from Middle French imaginer from Latin imāginārī, equivalent to imāgin- (stem of imāgō ) image + -ā- thematic vowel + -rī infinitive ending

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Explanation

To imagine something is to picture it in your head. When we imagine things, we're using our imagination. The word image is a good clue to the meaning of imagine, a word for picturing or envisioning things. You could imagine you're a king, an astronaut, a firefighter, or a coyote. You could imagine the earth getting hit by an asteroid. If you can think of it, you can imagine it. Sometimes, imagining means believing or guessing. For example, your teacher could say, "Did you really imagine there would be no homework?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

imagine imagines imagined imagining

You might imagine an endless expanse of towering trees, with thick canopies blocking sunlight from reaching the ground.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026

"You can imagine the effect it has on a developing brain, being in that environment for years at a time."

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

“I’m aware of all those social issues, as you can imagine, and I care desperately about all the problems facing us,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Now imagine competing against buyers who don’t even need a mortgage.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

In this picture, under Theo’s hands, I look nothing like what I imagine myself looking, but somehow look exactly like myself.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The figure helps introduce the exhibition’s exploration of humanity’s relationship to nature; Albuquerque imagines the character as the maker of her landscape projects and considers her an alter ego.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Organized around what Ferrari deems a “dual-cockpit layout,” the swank, future-curious cabin design imagines driver and passenger bonding over the 10.25-inch central touch-screen display.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

He imagines Meta has been working on the camera-free glasses for several years, and the current backlash over privacy provides "fantastic timing" for their release.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

I am not the fan that the NFL pictures when it imagines its fans.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

On other nights it was still, with such a stillness as one imagines as existing before the stars began to form, or after everything has perished.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

"We felt immense joy and happiness. We've received so much love and inspiration - something we had never imagined," says Padam Singh.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

And if those stocks truly crash, ordinary people are going to get hit with losses that are far worse than they ever imagined, and find that they are more exposed than they realized.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

To the founders who imagined it, the staff members who built it, the contributors who gave it their voices and the alumni who carried its spirit into the world: Thank you.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Payne always imagined the show like a feature film.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Danny imagined what it might have been like to wake up every day and see the Temple of the Sun when it was whole.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Looking at those photos was a “poignant and emotional moment for me,” Pratt said, imagining that soon the risk of them being smashed by cars would drop.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Which is perhaps why, reading through the celebrations of Airbnb’s new rules, I keep imagining the other side of that sink full of dishes.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

The only thing Mr. Yass is imagining is a future in which college and university presidents work with visionary philanthropists like him for the good of our country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

This record hasn’t stopped critics from imagining donors in dark rooms using the civic-dialogue movement to further their own nefarious ends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

She even writes a poem imagining all the famous sites of Europe she hopes to see someday.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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