imagine

verb

UK /ɪˈmædʒɪn/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	imagine
he/she/it	imagines
present participle	imagining
past tense	imagined
past participle	imagined

1
transitive to form a picture of something or someone in your mind
She tried to imagine the scene.
imagine (that):
Imagine that you are lying on a beach.
imagine (someone) doing something:
Imagine yourself sitting behind your big new desk.
imagine someone/something as something:
I imagine him as a distinguished old gentleman.
imagine someone/something to be something:
I think they imagine the company to be bigger than it is.
Synonyms and related words
To imagine, or to use your imagination
imagine
suppose
think up
1. 1a
  to have an idea of what something is like or what it might be like
  It’s hard to imagine a more unpleasant job.
  imagine/you can imagine/just imagine something:
  Imagine my surprise when they announced I had won!
  imagine (that):
  He had never imagined that digging was such hard work.
  imagine what/why/how etc:
  You can imagine what the newspapers would do if they ever found out about this.
  fondly imagine (=have a mistaken idea about something):
  I had fondly imagined that riding a camel would be easy.
  Synonyms and related words
  To imagine, or to use your imagination
  imagine
  suppose
  think up
2
transitive to have an idea that something exists or is happening, when in fact it does not exist or is not happening
She always imagines the worst (=thinks the worst possible thing has happened).
‘There! I heard it again!’ ‘There’s nothing there – you’re just imagining things!’
imagine (that):
In these situations, you imagine everyone is laughing at you.
Synonyms and related words
To believe or accept that something is true or exists
think
believe in
suppose
3
intransitive/transitive used for showing that you are surprised by something or cannot believe it
imagine doing something:
Imagine going out dressed like that!
(just) imagine/imagine that:
She now earns over 20 million dollars a film! Just imagine that!
Synonyms and related words
Ways of saying that you are surprised or shocked
funnily enough
you don’t say
heavens above
4
transitive to think that something is probably true
It’s difficult, I imagine, to keep your interest alive after doing the job for 30 years.
imagine (that):
I imagine they’ve left already.
Synonyms and related words
To believe or accept that something is true or exists
think
believe in
suppose

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