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

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

See Examples For:

imagine imagines imagined imagining

An author winning the Nobel Prize in literature is about as big a bonanza of demand as you can imagine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

It’s hard to imagine Florida’s electorate is eager to go along for the ride.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

If you imagine a collection of matter representing "a universe," Einstein's equations can tell you how that collection should evolve.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

"If supporters get frustrated, imagine how frustrated I get," says Brook.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

I could just imagine the lecture I’d get for that one.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

One imagines Mike Rogers has enjoyed a lovely Michigan summer.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Joshua Kushner and his family, one imagines, will not starve.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

One imagines irritated Michigan Wolverines burning checkbooks and disavowing money-market accounts as they drink their spritzes at Ann Arbor tailgates—but inside Columbus, this is like getting to sponsor religion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

In it, she imagines the sacrifice of loving a child enough to send her away to keep her safe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

She imagines where that first job might take her, assumes it will be in some far-flung town in the middle of nowhere.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Would he have imagined in the late 1980s that 30 years later, Sony would be primarily an entertainment company, its consumer-electronics business a sliver of its former size?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

"Whenever I looked at the sky I imagined myself flying an airplane and seeing the world from above. I wanted to fly freely and experience a world without limits," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Maiava said he continues to refine his command of Riley’s offense and has learned more than he imagined was possible when he started.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

If it’s richly imagined Oklahoma skulduggery you seek, stick to TV’s “Tulsa King.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

It was gone so fast I wondered if I’d imagined it.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

One unquestionable element is its success in raising the low estimation of Green Lantern created by a particularly clumsy movie, simply by imagining possibilities in much bigger terms.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

None of this requires imagining a secret plan passed between statehouses.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

I was imagining what it would be like to be her, so perfectly balanced en pointe, the embodiment of feminine beauty and grace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

"It's not even a case of imagining it, it's happening in front of our own eyes," Professor Euan Ritchie tells the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Michael’s eyes widened, imagining an enormous jar full of cash.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly