Synonyms of imagine

imagine

verb

i-ˈma-jən 

1

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

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

2

as in to think

to have as an opinion

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• think
• believe
• guess
• consider
• figure
• suppose
• feel
• deem
• conceive
• perceive
• judge
• reckon
• assume
• allow
• hold
• regard
• accept
• presume
• view
• depend
• esteem
• rely
• surmise
• trust
• conclude
• infer
• deduce
• presuppose

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• doubt
• suspect
• question
• reject
• distrust
• discredit
• mistrust
• disbelieve

3

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

• guess
• assume
• suppose
• think
• presume
• suspect
• speculate
• surmise
• believe
• daresay
• suspicion
• conjecture
• expect
• infer
• conclude
• deduce
• hypothesize
• gather
• conceive
• reckon
• theorize
• judge
• hypothecate
• take

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prove
• establish
• demonstrate
• determine
• learn
• ascertain
• find out
• document
• validate
• substantiate

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

Recent Examples of imagine

What these economists who made this important study were surprised to discover is most economists in 2016 would’ve imagined Brexit as a onetime shock. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

So Andersen arrived, imagining that the children would adore him and his work the way Danish children did. —Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

In terms of grand-scale event movies that imagined new frontiers, Jurassic Park might sneak into that core group. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026

Each of us will imagine in our own way the meaning of these various images. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 June 2026