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 Lately, that kind of existential threat — where once-vanquished viruses make a devastating comeback — is no longer speculative, nor hard to imagine. — Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 One can imagine the burden of splitting up a valuable estate and the myriad decisions about how to run it posthumously, such as whether to license the name or make reproductions. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026 Now, imagine an auto exec time-traveling from 20 or 30 years ago and reading that news. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 20 Aug. 2026 His corruption and abuses of power have been let loose at a scale that was previously only imagined. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imagine

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagine

Verb

At the end, almost everybody dies, a scenario that even the worst predictions of climate impacts don’t envision.

— Peter Prengaman, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Those involved in the push to make South Carolina first envisioned the living-room conversations and retail politics long associated with Iowa and New Hampshire.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of envision

Verb

Beyond the rooms, the hotel offers experiences that turn a stay into a real adventure; think horseback riding through Konavle, an ATV or buggy safari, sea kayaking around the Old Town walls, or even a private Game of Thrones tour through the city.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Westerns are often thought to glorify the violence and vigilantism of the 19th-century towns on the expanding American border.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of think

Verb

Trust grows when transformation is communicated clearly instead of left for others to guess.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
Their performances keep the audience guessing about both characters until Holloway finally brings the pieces together in a tremendously satisfying finale.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of guess

Verb

Recent months have seen an expansion of Russian missile attacks all across Ukraine, as officials in Kyiv warn that Ukrainian stocks of anti-missile interceptor munitions are dangerously low and, in some cases, exhausted.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Check the offer page to see which hotels are offering the discount—you’ll be happy to see fan favorites like Disney’s Grand Floridian and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge on the list!

— Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of see

Verb

Taylor has quickly assumed a leadership role, with her coach using her as an example of expectations.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Most of the people who are found dead there every year are assumed to be migrants, Hess says, because of the desert’s location on the southern border.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of assume

Verb

Sound’s Round 2 Impresario-musician Mike Reed’s multigenre, multivenue festival, Sound & Gravity, returns for its second year with acts like Son Lux (pictured, above) and Chicago’s Jessica Risker.

— Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
The person seen dropping off the Acura was pictured only in grainy video and appeared to be wearing a shirt without sleeves.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of picture

Verb

Takaichi's remark crossed what China considers a red line in its relations with other countries about Taiwan, which is a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Last week, amid trade talks with the US, Carney asked premiers to consider bringing US alcohol back to store shelves in hopes of reaching a deal.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of consider

Cite this Entry

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“Imagine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagine. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of imagine

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Synonyms of imagine

verb

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Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

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