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

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have imagined
  perfect
• has imagined
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been imagining
  perfect progressive
• are imagining
  progressive
• is imagining
  progressive 3rd person singular
• imagines
  singular 3rd person
• am imagining
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been imagining
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• imagining
  participle

Past

• had imagined
  perfect
• was imagining
  progressive singular
• were imagining
  progressive plural
• imagined
  participle
• imagined
  simple
• had been imagining
  perfect progressive

Future

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

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

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

“The psychological trick I would play on myself at each meet was to imagine the water I’d dive into was freezing cold,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

If we imagine that every event throughout the universe’s history does “exist” within the block universe, then we might ask: when does the block itself exist?

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

It’s hard to imagine any topic more ideal for creating this kind conflict than UFOs.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

"I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

I couldn’t imagine what she meant by that and wondered if I was supposed to ask.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu