imagine

[ ih-maj-in ]

See synonyms for: imagine imagined imagining on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),im·ag·ined, im·ag·in·ing.

to form a mental image of (something not actually present to the senses).
to think, believe, or fancy: He imagined the house was haunted.

to assume; suppose: I imagine they'll be here soon.
to conjecture; guess: I cannot imagine what you mean.
Archaic. to plan, scheme, or plot.

verb (used without object),im·ag·ined, im·ag·in·ing.

to form mental images of things not present to the senses; use the imagination.
to suppose; think; conjecture.

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

synonym study For imagine

1. 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 words for imagine

1	image, picture

See synonyms for imagine on Thesaurus.com

Other words from imagine

i·mag·in·er, noun
pre·im·ag·ine, verb (used with object), pre·im·ag·ined, pre·im·ag·in·ing.
re·i·mag·ine, verb (used with object), re·i·mag·ined, re·i·mag·in·ing.
un·im·ag·ined, adjective
well-i·mag·ined, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use imagine in a sentence

A new book from Mallory Ortberg imagines what literary legends including King Lear and Jane Eyre would have texted.
What Would Jane Eyre Sext? | Jennie Yabroff | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He also imagines her dancing a sexually aggressive spotlit dance.
In Defense of American Apparel: Why a Hitched-Up Skirt Barely Conceals a Profound Social Confusion | Tim Teeman | August 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The hybrid alliance is something of a Frankenstein monster where every arm imagines itself the brain.
With Friends Like These, ISIS Is Doomed | Jacob Siegel | July 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most bravely perhaps, Maka, 45, imagines some comedic moments.
The Surprisingly Good Flight 370 Novel: Author Scott Maka Defends His Controversial Book | Tim Teeman | June 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In those anonymous italics again, Kibbe imagines unnamed folks saying, “Check this out: This senator is speaking truth to power.”
Why The Tea Party Won’t Go Away And More Wisdom From Matt Kibbe | Michael Signer | April 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The unindustrious pupil imagines that “p” represents 8, and not “f” or “v,” and translates 1845 into “To pour oil” .
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
A shallow mind thinks his writings divine; a man of sense imagines he writes tolerably well.
The 'Characters' of Jean de La Bruyre | Jean de La Bruyre
Imagines much trouble with automobile, talk very technical & can't make head or tail of it.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
Subsequent adjustment may not be as satisfactory as she imagines it to be.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents | Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.
The traveler to whom St. Petersburg is unknown, imagines the city as ancient, picturesque and irregular.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia Austrian

British Dictionary definitions for imagine

imagine

/ (ɪˈmædʒɪn) /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object) to form a mental image of
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to think, believe, or guess

(tr; takes a clause as object) to suppose; assume: I imagine he'll come
(tr; takes a clause as object) to believe or assume without foundation: he imagines he knows the whole story
an archaic word for plot 1

sentence substitute

Also: imagine that! an exclamation of surprise

Origin of imagine

C14: from Latin imāginārī to fancy, picture mentally, from imāgō likeness; see image

Derived forms of imagine

imaginable, adjective
imaginably, adverb
imaginer, noun

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

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