Synonyms of envisage

envisage

verb

in-ˈvi-zij 

as in to imagine

to form a mental picture of

I'm trying to envisage you on a surfboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imagine
• envision
• see
• conceive
• dream
• picture
• visualize
• vision
• fantasize
• feature
• contemplate
• fantasy
• fancy
• conjure (up)
• image
• plan
• conceit
• ideate
• foresee
• daydream
• reflect
• ponder
• invent
• concoct
• relive
• ruminate
• prefigure
• manufacture
• reminisce
• muse
• meditate
• hallucinate
• project
• re-create
• make up
• fabricate
• stargaze

Synonym Chooser

How is the word envisage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of envisage are conceive, envision, fancy, imagine, realize, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," 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 is conceive a more appropriate choice than envisage?

The synonyms conceive and envisage are sometimes interchangeable, but conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

In what contexts can fancy take the place of envisage?

The words fancy and envisage can be used in similar contexts, but fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

When might imagine be a better fit than envisage?

While the synonyms imagine and envisage are close in meaning, imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When could realize be used to replace envisage?

The meanings of realize and envisage 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 envisage?

Although the words think and envisage have much in common, 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

Recent Examples of envisage

Sketching on a napkin over lunch, LeMessurier began envisaging a unique answer to these questions: a skyscraper raised at not just one, but all four of its corners. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025

Perhaps Harari’s cognitive revolution went something like what was envisaged by Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology Joseph Henrich. —Madeleine Beekman august 11, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025

The 2023 contract initially envisaged the production of 6,000 Shaheds at Alabuga by September 2025, which Russia completed well ahead of schedule. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Most ambitiously, the founders envisaged Worldcoin as a global distribution network for UBI—a radical approach to social welfare in which every citizen receives regular cash payments to cover their basic needs. —Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Dec. 2022

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