imagine
Americanverb (used with object)
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to form a mental image of (something not actually present to the senses).
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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)
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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
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
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reimagineverb (used with object)
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imaginableadjective
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imaginernoun
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unimaginedadjective
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imaginablyadverb
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preimagineverb (used with object)
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well-imaginedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have imaginedperfect
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has imaginedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been imaginingperfect progressive
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are imaginingprogressive
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imaginessingular 3rd person
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imaginingparticiple
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is imaginingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am imaginingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been imaginingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had imaginedperfect
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was imaginingprogressive singular
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were imaginingprogressive plural
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imaginedparticiple
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imaginedsimple
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had been imaginingperfect progressive
Future
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?"
Vocabulary lists containing imagine
Because of Winn-Dixie
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The Marvels
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Edge: Academic Vocabulary
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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.
Without worrying about pitching deep into the game, with the opportunity to throw one inning and rear back and fire, can you imagine how hard Misiorowski might throw in the All-Star Game?
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
"I just can't imagine living any other way."
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
The worst outcome I could imagine was a case of the sillies, sleepies, or munchies.
From Slate • Jun. 13, 2026
Musk could imagine the photo of the green shoots against the Mars background.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
As you can imagine, here, too, an explanation was in order.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
