as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
got needlessly upset about imagined dangers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in envisioned
to form a mental picture of
she was determined to have the wedding that she had always imagined
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in thought
to have as an opinion
I imagine that's true, but you still have to prove it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in guessed
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
I imagine things will change rapidly once we begin
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Recent Examples of imagined
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2026
Both are beatless, widescreen, and almost formless, little soundtracks to an imagined world in bloom.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
They’d been drawn by the pay, but also by a sense of altruism and imagined kinship.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
An exhibit showcasing a Colorado treasure has been re-imagined.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The experiments together suggest that Kanzi was able to distinguish an imagined scenario from the present reality and keep both in mind.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
So, the transactional world is constantly pushing us out of the present and redirecting us to an imagined future.
—Bill Burnett, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Del Col’s imagined protagonist is Pierre, a French bakery assistant who learns Hitler is his biological father.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Taken together, the books on this list show narrators real and imagined grappling with some of life’s greatest challenges, and nevertheless surviving—as timely and valuable a message as readers can ask for.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Along with co-founder Kyle Chayka, now of The New Yorker, Alioto first imagined Dirt as a moment-meeting entertainment brand that brooks very little techno-pessimism.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
The guesthouse, by contrast, was imagined as an extension of family life.
—Kerry Pieri, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Wagner with fewer visuals Wagner imagined his operas as Gesamtkunstwerke, complete art works combining sets, costumes, movements and stage effects with singing and new orchestral colors and harmonies.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
The team’s best defenseman — and undisputed best all-around skater now that Artemi Panarin is in Los Angeles — isn’t going anywhere this week, but his future beyond that is suddenly murkier than anyone could have imagined a short time ago.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Within 12 hours of the opening strikes, Iran would move to close the Strait of Hormuz, the planners imagined, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil flows.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
Who ever imagined such a group as belonging to anything like a noble family?
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
The podcast has earned more than 150 million downloads, a success Greenberg could not have imagined.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
However, because of its relatively remote location, lack of infrastructure, and the economic realities of the time, the imagined city never came to fruition.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2026
Both are beatless, widescreen, and almost formless, little soundtracks to an imagined world in bloom.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
They’d been drawn by the pay, but also by a sense of altruism and imagined kinship.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
An exhibit showcasing a Colorado treasure has been re-imagined.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The experiments together suggest that Kanzi was able to distinguish an imagined scenario from the present reality and keep both in mind.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
So, the transactional world is constantly pushing us out of the present and redirecting us to an imagined future.
—Bill Burnett, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Del Col’s imagined protagonist is Pierre, a French bakery assistant who learns Hitler is his biological father.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Taken together, the books on this list show narrators real and imagined grappling with some of life’s greatest challenges, and nevertheless surviving—as timely and valuable a message as readers can ask for.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
Whale, and later fellow directors Franc Rodman, Branagh and now Gyllenhaal, imagined what might have happened if Frankenstein had completed the female monster.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Along with co-founder Kyle Chayka, now of The New Yorker, Alioto first imagined Dirt as a moment-meeting entertainment brand that brooks very little techno-pessimism.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
The guesthouse, by contrast, was imagined as an extension of family life.
—Kerry Pieri, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Wagner with fewer visuals Wagner imagined his operas as Gesamtkunstwerke, complete art works combining sets, costumes, movements and stage effects with singing and new orchestral colors and harmonies.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
The team’s best defenseman — and undisputed best all-around skater now that Artemi Panarin is in Los Angeles — isn’t going anywhere this week, but his future beyond that is suddenly murkier than anyone could have imagined a short time ago.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Within 12 hours of the opening strikes, Iran would move to close the Strait of Hormuz, the planners imagined, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil flows.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
Who ever imagined such a group as belonging to anything like a noble family?
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
The podcast has earned more than 150 million downloads, a success Greenberg could not have imagined.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagined
Adjective
-
Nobody has ever called Brentford head coach Keith Andrews a magical or imaginary being.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.—
Vahe Peroomian,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One Cold War era proposal known as Project Honey Badger envisioned inserting about 2,400 special operations troops into Iran using more than 100 aircraft.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The City Council initially envisioned a 31-acre development project on public land.—
Andrea Levine O’Rourke,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Between 77 million and 132 million more people worldwide could be at risk of inundation than previously thought.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In June 2025, electronic interference with navigation systems was thought to be a factor in the collision between two oil tankers, Adalynn and Front Eagle, off the coast of the UAE, Bockmann and Faragher noted.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As for how many centers across the state could be affected if Harvey’s Law is passed, West guessed that around 85% of those centers receive funds from one of the three qualifying state programs.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Under your careful eye, progress gets measured, not guessed.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a signal of how much pressure there was to do right by the beloved fictional couple, four endings were written and filmed.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Irish Triangle may sound like a fictional, far-away land, but, luckily for Louisvillians, this magical corner of the Highlands is very real.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The former leftists who dreamed of spreading democracy at the barrel of a gun, after all, were only one part of the neocon movement.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
After October 7, 2023, the Israeli assassination campaign against leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah revealed lethal intelligence capabilities that could only have been dreamed of in the predigital Cold War.—
Tim Naftali,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many works of Georges Méliès are even believed to have been burned as the original negatives, as the nitrate film stock is incredibly fragile and inflammable.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Climate change may threaten tens of millions more people than previously believed, according to a new study that says previous research used incorrect information about water levels along the world’s coastlines.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Davidson, who assumed her former role at the Kennedy Center in April 2023, intended to stay in the nation’s capital until the orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2031.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Many actors have assumed the titular role over the years, with recent iterations including David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, and Peter Capaldi.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imagined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagined. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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