DictionaryAI

imagine

i-MAJ-in/ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/

Formsimagines, imagining, imagined

6 meanings of imagine

Practice

  1. 1
    pictureverbtransitive
    To form a picture or idea of something in the mind, or to use the imagination to create new ideas.

    Imagine a city where no one ever needs to drive a car.

    Architects often imagine entire buildings before drawing a single line.

    UsageFollowed by -ing: imagine living there (not incorrect: imagine to live). Often reflexive: imagine yourself on a beach.

    Similarfancy

    Note

    Shakespeare pairs it with suppose in A Midsummer Night's Dream: the frightened mind, imagining some fear, takes a bush for a bear.

  2. 2
    supposeverbtransitive
    To suppose or guess that something is probably the case, without being sure.

    I imagine you're exhausted after such a long flight.

    We imagine this year's results will be similar to last year's.

    UsageMostly as I imagine (that) + a clause, a polite way to guess: I imagine you're tired.

  3. 3
    believe a fictionverbtransitive
    To believe in something that exists only in one's mind, often something untrue.

    She imagined that everyone was talking about her behind her back.

    Patients under stress sometimes imagine symptoms that no test can confirm.

    UsageThe set phrase is imagining things: you're just imagining things, said to reassure someone or to wave a worry away. It also takes that + clause.

    Similarfancy

    Note

    Here the picture is mistaken for reality. Its closest synonym is fancy, which carries the same hint that the belief has no ground.

  4. 4
    mock ideaverbslangsarcastictransitive
    Used to ridicule an idea by implying it is absurd or poorly thought out.

    Imagine believing every rumor you read online without ever checking it.

    Imagine showing up an hour late and still expecting them to wait for you.

    UsageUsually Imagine + -ing at the start of a mocking remark: Imagine believing that. Tone shows it is not literal.

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To contrive or devise a scheme; to plot something deliberately.
    How long wil ye imagine miſchiefe againſt a man?
    1611, The Holy Bible, King James Version
    Note

    A sense lost to modern English but still alive in older texts. The King James Bible of 1611 asks, "How long will ye imagine mischief against a man?" The object is the harm being planned, and against names its target. Read this way, the verb means plot, not fancy. Because the sense is obsolete, use it only when quoting or deliberately echoing that older style.

    Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

  2. 6
    nounslang
    A short piece of fan fiction or prompt that places the reader as a participant in a new scenario with a fictional character or celebrity.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of imagine apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word comes from Middle English ymagynen, borrowed from Middle French imaginer, which came from Latin imāginor, based on imāgō, meaning 'a copy, likeness, or image'.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts