imagine

verb

imag·​ine i-ˈma-jən How to pronounce imagine (audio)
imagined; imagining i-ˈma-jə-niŋ How to pronounce imagine (audio)
-ˈmaj-nə-

transitive verb

1
: to form a mental image of (something not present)
imagine accidents at every turn
2
: suppose, guess
I imagine it will rain
3
: to form a notion of without sufficient basis : fancy
imagines himself to be a charming conversationalist
4
archaic : plan, scheme
Choose the Right Synonym for imagine

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of.

think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

Examples of imagine in a Sentence

a writer who has imagined an entire world of amazing creatures He asked us to imagine a world without poverty or war. It's hard for me to imagine having children. He was imagining all sorts of terrible things happening. “What was that sound? I think there's someone in the house!” “Oh, you're just imagining things.” I imagine it will snow at some point today. It's difficult to imagine that these changes will really be effective. The company will do better next year, I imagine. It was worse than they had imagined.
Recent Examples on the Web That said viewers follow format and imagine watching Law and Order and one of the detectives goes off and starts their own detective agency. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Just imagine a world where the journey from Los Angeles to Tokyo takes less than two hours. Sassie Duggleby, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 In 2024, our definition of literary greatness is wider, deeper, and weirder than DeForest likely could have imagined. The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 Von Furstenberg, a designer just as iconic as her signature wrap dress, imagined the collection alongside her granddaughter and cochairman Talita von Furstenberg, pulling heavily on the label’s archives. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024 Years later when a shred of aircraft aluminum and the rubber heel from a woman’s shoe were found on an island 400 miles from Earhart’s destination, she was imagined to have been a castaway. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The writer has racked up 960K followers on Instagram for cracking them up with satirical captions imagining the inner monologue of young Prince George, son of Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton. Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Sports betting, which has grown bigger than almost anyone could have imagined in 2018, would grow bigger still than almost anyone can imagine now. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024 In the contemporary fashion climate, emerging brands that create new products from upcycled materials are nothing new (because imagine the irony in that); however, Ellen Hodakova Larsson’s intensity of approach and technique sets her interestingly apart. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imagine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymagynen, borrowed from Anglo-French ymaginer, borrowed from Latin imāginārī, verbal derivative of imāgin-, imāgō "representation, semblance, image entry 1"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of imagine was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near imagine

Cite this Entry

“Imagine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imagine. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

imagine

verb
imag·​ine im-ˈaj-ən How to pronounce imagine (audio)
imagined; imagining -ˈaj-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce imagine (audio)
1
: to form a mental picture of : use the imagination
2
: think sense 2, suppose
I imagine it will snow

Medical Definition

imagine

verb
imag·​ine im-ˈaj-ən How to pronounce imagine (audio)
imagined; imagining -ˈaj-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce imagine (audio)

transitive verb

: to form a mental image of (something not present)

More from Merriam-Webster on imagine

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