Imagine Definition & Meaning
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verb (used with object)
imagined, imagining-
to form a mental image of (something not actually present to the senses).
Synonyms: picture, image -
to think, believe, or fancy.
He imagined the house was haunted.
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to assume; suppose.
I imagine they'll be here soon.
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to conjecture; guess.
I cannot imagine what you mean.
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Archaic. to plan, scheme, or plot.
verb (used without object)
imagined, imagining-
to form mental images of things not present to the senses; use the imagination.
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to suppose; think; conjecture.
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to form a mental image of
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to think, believe, or guess
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(tr; takes a clause as object) to suppose; assume
I imagine he'll come
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(tr; takes a clause as object) to believe or assume without foundation
he imagines he knows the whole story
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an archaic word for plot 1
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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.
Related Words
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
- imaginable adjective
- imaginably adverb
- imaginer noun
- preimagine verb (used with object)
- reimagine verb (used with object)
- unimagined adjective
- well-imagined adjective
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
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.
“I get my core involved and my legs, and I’m almost trying to fire my muscles as I’m imagining it, just to make it feel a little bit more real.”
From Los Angeles Times
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I'm not sure how gritted his teeth were at the time and can only imagine how awkward their next joint public appearance will be.
From BBC
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While those three teams are fighting for Champions League places, it feels a stretch to imagine any of them stopping City claiming their second WSL title.
From BBC
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“While we didn’t win everything we know we deserve, this strike allowed us to imagine our schools and classrooms as they should be with staffing levels high enough that our students can learn and thrive.”
From Los Angeles Times
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Back then he never could have imagined he would be creating graphics for some of the world's biggest movies.
From BBC
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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.
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