IMAGINE Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'imagine' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of imagine are conceive , envisage , envision , fancy , realize , and think . While all these words mean "to form an idea of," imagine stresses a visualization. // imagine you're at the beach

Q: When is it sensible to use 'conceive' instead of 'imagine'?

While the synonyms conceive and imagine are close in meaning, conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design. // conceived of a new marketing approach

Q: How do 'envisage' and 'envision' relate to one another, in the sense of 'imagine'?

Both 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

Q: When could 'fancy' be used to replace 'imagine'?

The words fancy and imagine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires. // fancied himself a super athlete

Q: When is 'realize' a more appropriate choice than 'imagine'?

The meanings of realize and imagine largely overlap; however, realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined. // realized the enormity of the task ahead

Q: Where would 'think' be a reasonable alternative to 'imagine'?

The words think and imagine can be used in similar contexts, but 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

imagine

verb

i-ˈma-jən

Definition of imagine

as in to envision

to form a mental picture of she was determined to have the wedding that she had always imagined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to think

to have as an opinion I imagine that's true, but you still have to prove it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to guess

to form an opinion from little or no evidence I imagine things will change rapidly once we begin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word imagine distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of imagine are conceive, envisage, envision, fancy, realize, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When is it sensible to use conceive instead of imagine?

While the synonyms conceive and imagine are close in meaning, conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How do envisage and envision relate to one another, in the sense of imagine?

Both 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

When could fancy be used to replace imagine?

The words fancy and imagine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

When is realize a more appropriate choice than imagine?

The meanings of realize and imagine largely overlap; however, realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

Where would think be a reasonable alternative to imagine?

The words think and imagine can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of imagine Now imagine the same hot and dry conditions, but with the Santa Anas whipping at 40 miles an hour. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Maybe there will be some fractures within the Iranian regime that none of us can imagine right now. — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 To many working people the world of democratic politics, far away in Westminster or Washington or Paris, existed almost beyond the realm of imagining. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Le Large’s ambition is to attract the broadest possible audience, imagining what lies beyond art itself. — Sarah Belmont For Artnews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imagine

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagine

Verb

Johan Enslin, an ARPA-E program director, envisions a grid in which power can be converted, directed and managed automatically—much like the way data are routed around the Internet—rather than merely stepped up or down.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Advocates envision it as a bucket-list destination akin to the Pacific Crest Trail and an economic driver for struggling rural towns.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of envision

Verb

So two games into the National League Championship Series, guess which team’s relief corps has been lights out and which one has been lit up?

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Police did not specify which roller coaster was involved in the incident, but CBS News Atlanta cameras saw that the park's Goliath ride was shut down, and guess were being evacuated.

— Todd Feurer, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of guess

Verb

Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
American Transmission Company, a utility firm that develops and manages high-voltage transmission lines, has seen rapid growth, in part thanks to the AI and data center buildout.

— Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of see

Verb

Fennel believes the Halifax team may eventually pin its estimate to within 10 percent.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The Hulu series also stars Sam Nivola as a teenager who awakens from a coma after an accident believing his mother (Britton) is an impostor.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of believe

Verb

The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
And, of course, anyone who remembers the optimistic hordes streaming up Michigan Avenue after Barack Obama made his victory speech for president of the United States in Grant Park well knows the local benefits of a Chicagoan assuming the presidency.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of assume

Verb

According to Vogue, on display in the sunroom (presumably where Dietrich is pictured here) was a piece called Zebra and Black Panther With Cacti, signed by the artist Charles Baskerville.

— Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
That is until yachting fan King Constantine of Greece spotted an advertisement in Time magazine that pictured a Hublot against the background of a raging sea with a glimpse of sailboat in the corner.

— Simon de Burton, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of picture

Verb

Legislators in at least 30 states have considered pricing bills this year, including measures addressing algorithmic and personalized pricing, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Changing expectations or considering proposals without comparable information undermines confidence in both the process and its recommendations.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of consider

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“Imagine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagine. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of imagine

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Synonyms of imagine

verb

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