Thesaurus results for ENVISAGE

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

envisage

verb

in-ˈvi-zij

Definition of envisage next

as in to imagine

to form a mental picture of I'm trying to envisage you on a surfboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 envisage Nonetheless, Wrexham have surged up the divisions quicker than anyone would have envisaged when Mac and Reynolds took over at The Racecourse Ground in February 2021, when the club were in the fifth tier of the domestic game. —

Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026 The space also introduces new editions envisaged in Putman’s legacy, including the Constellation Au Carré rug and the Quatre Feuilles table in a collector’s version. —

Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026 Although best known as a sculptor, Sanadze envisages the project as a collection of mixed-media works, each using the flowers in different ways. —

Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026 The $20 billion project led by state-run YPF SA and Italy’s Eni SpA envisages construction of at least two floating liquefaction vessels with annual capacity for 12 million tons off Argentina’s Atlantic coast. —

Jonathan Gilbert, Bloomberg, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for envisage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for envisage

Verb

Easier, maybe, to imagine Blume rejecting the general proposition of an author biography, which seeks to root a subject’s work in their specific experiences, dislodging them from a supposedly neutral or unmarked position.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
The last time was so long ago that Nash didn’t have a cell phone or even imagine being on a group chat with 12 teammates 30 years later.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026