as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
got needlessly upset about imagined dangers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of imagined
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
Prompted by Einstein, the noncompliant witnesses in the 1950s reshaped the public discussion, refocusing the conversation on the importance of freedom of expression rather than the fears of imagined communist infiltration.
—Jodie Childers, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
Stories, dreams, movies, poetry, and songs exist in real or imagined landscapes.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Both blend horrific imagery in the real and imagined world, however.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Yet politicians often effectively leverage fears to garner votes, and companies routinely market unnecessary products that promise protection from imagined or exaggerated harms.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
On the surface, the glorious black-and-white concoction, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last May, tells the (mostly imagined) story of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s epoch-defining 1960 movie, Breathless.
—Tomris Laffly, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
The rules of fiction require me to do this indirectly, constructing a narrator—whether a character or an imagined voice—to deliver the text at hand.
—Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, new weapons had been developed, weapons more terrible than previous generations could have imagined.
—Amy Crawford, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
Traditional media outlets of the 20th century had only crude signals — newspaper circulation figures, Nielsen ratings — and journalists therefore imagined what their audiences wanted to read.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
From Cosby’s court trials, to cannabis legalization, to the invasion of Ukraine as part of a Russian reunification strategy, to the many death-by-law-enforcement scenarios in American cities, our current moment looks and feels different than what a preteen might have imagined in the ’80s.
—Harvey Young, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Sixty years later, the Spectacle saturates us in ways the Situationists never imagined.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Maybe this nonstop back-and-forth, this spiritual reverb, this throb-throb oscillation between the actual and the symbolic, the objective and the imagined, is the heartbeat of Moby-Dick.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Following a major dining room and menu upgrade, a popular Connecticut Italian restaurant is now popping with meatballs Nonna likely never imagined making.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
Prompted by Einstein, the noncompliant witnesses in the 1950s reshaped the public discussion, refocusing the conversation on the importance of freedom of expression rather than the fears of imagined communist infiltration.
—Jodie Childers, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
Stories, dreams, movies, poetry, and songs exist in real or imagined landscapes.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Both blend horrific imagery in the real and imagined world, however.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Yet politicians often effectively leverage fears to garner votes, and companies routinely market unnecessary products that promise protection from imagined or exaggerated harms.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
On the surface, the glorious black-and-white concoction, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last May, tells the (mostly imagined) story of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s epoch-defining 1960 movie, Breathless.
—Tomris Laffly, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
The rules of fiction require me to do this indirectly, constructing a narrator—whether a character or an imagined voice—to deliver the text at hand.
—Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Americans today enjoy longer lives, greater comfort, more opportunities and broader freedoms than their grandparents could have imagined.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, new weapons had been developed, weapons more terrible than previous generations could have imagined.
—Amy Crawford, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
Traditional media outlets of the 20th century had only crude signals — newspaper circulation figures, Nielsen ratings — and journalists therefore imagined what their audiences wanted to read.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
From Cosby’s court trials, to cannabis legalization, to the invasion of Ukraine as part of a Russian reunification strategy, to the many death-by-law-enforcement scenarios in American cities, our current moment looks and feels different than what a preteen might have imagined in the ’80s.
—Harvey Young, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Sixty years later, the Spectacle saturates us in ways the Situationists never imagined.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Maybe this nonstop back-and-forth, this spiritual reverb, this throb-throb oscillation between the actual and the symbolic, the objective and the imagined, is the heartbeat of Moby-Dick.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Following a major dining room and menu upgrade, a popular Connecticut Italian restaurant is now popping with meatballs Nonna likely never imagined making.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagined
Adjective
-
An imaginary line drawn through the stars Bellatrix in Orion and Alnitak (the lowest star in Orion's Belt), extended about twice its own length, also leads to Murzam.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
And there are no effects, there are no imaginary monsters.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For the moment, that infrastructure remains incomplete; as of late 2024, Iranian officials acknowledged that the NIN – envisioned to include homegrown alternatives to Western websites, social media platforms and media streaming services – was still less than 60 percent operational.—
Ilan Berman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The final scene brought to series full-circle with an ending Miller had always envisioned, where June ends the series speaking the words that opened the show.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Collections and designers put their best foot forward, delivering high-caliber collections — some were uplifting, others were thought-provoking, most were both.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Until now, the forces behind such outflows were thought to be driven mainly by intense star formation and possible black hole activity.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There were six games in the first week of the playoffs, and Reese guessed the wrong team would win each time.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
When Robert became an All-Star in 2023, no one could’ve guessed that the contract would be an albatross by ’24 or that the Sox would dump him for a midlevel prospect and a 12th-rounder.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This could even include being part of a role-play activity that is based on their favorite storyline, a nostalgic scene or even a fictional world.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Featuring Tim McGraw, Eric Church, and Morgan Wallen, the song finds each artist inhabiting a specific member of the landowning (fictional) McArthur family.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nguyen remembers when her parents, immigrants from Laos who dreamed of owning a restaurant, first opened Vientiane Noodle Shop on South 35th Street and West National Avenue in the Silver City neighborhood in 2001.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In middle school at Imagine International Academy, Swavay was quiet and dreamed of playing basketball.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But where Smith believed unrealistically in talismanic lists and self-help books to redirect his life, Capote clung fiercely to his own brilliance and hard work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Columbus police have not said whether McKee is believed to be the person shown in the video.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stadiums are often assumed to raise property values, but that outcome is far from guaranteed in a dense residential neighborhood and park setting.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Carlson, with his staple rep ties and Rolex, assumed the role of class traitor.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imagined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagined. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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