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Synonyms

IM

1 American  
[ahy-em] / ˈaɪˈɛm /

noun

plural

IMs, IM's

  1. instant message.

  2. instant messaging.

verb (used without object)

IM'd, IMed, IM'ing, IMing

  1. instant message.

IM 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Swimming. individual medley.

  2. Sports. intramural.

  3. Also I.M. Isle of Man.

I'm 3 American  
[ahym] / aɪm /

  1. contraction of I am.

im- 4 American  

  1. variant of in- before b, m, p: imbrute; immigrate; impassion.

im- 5 American  

  1. variant of in- before b, m, p: imbalance; immoral; imperishable.

im- 6 American  

  1. variant of in- before b, m, p: imbed; immure; impose.

-im 7 American  

  1. a plural ending occurring in loanwords from Hebrew.

    cherubim.
IM 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. computing instant messaging

  2. Also: i.m..  intramuscular

  3. chess International Master

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
I'm 2 British  
/ aɪm /

contraction

  1. I am

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
im- 3 British  

prefix

  1. a variant of in- 1 in- 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
im 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Isle of Man

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See contraction.

Etymology

Origin of IM1

First recorded in 1990–95

Origin of -im7

From Hebrew

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By watching how spirals move in the IM Lupi disc over time, the team could tell that they were caused by a new planet being born and not a planet growing bigger!

From Space Scoop • Oct. 24, 2025

She holds the world record in the 400 IM; she swam it in 4:24.38 at last year’s Canadian swimming finals.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025

"I just love racing in these environments and it brings something special out of me. Back-to-back silvers in the 200m IM is pretty cool and what a night it's been."

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2024

Meanwhile, SAIC’s IM Motors has filed an intellectual property application for an in-car plant-care system, which will collect rain from the roof and water generated by the vehicle’s cooling system.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2024

Carrie doesn’t seem to notice this; she’s just giddy that he’s come by, that she didn’t dream the whole IM exchange, that chatting has escalated into speaking...and who knows what will happen next?

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.