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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 imagined
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
But, this specific adaptation could be equally advantaged by presenting an imagined hell within our lesser, present one.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Imagine Communities Audience–media relations also cement the notion of imagined community of viewers of that certain program.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Though the two are poised to be forever tied and compared to one another based on the stunning trade and public relations meltdown that occurred afterwards, neither rookie appeared interested in playing into any sort of imagined feud.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026
But his family takes Iván in as his experiences begin to dissolve into the imagined portrait of Celestino.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Instead of small neighborhood stores with limited inventory, Marcus and Blank imagined warehouse-sized spaces filled with everything homeowners or contractors might need — from lumber and drywall to appliances and lighting.
—Alexandria Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Piech’s experience suggests that Sora videos could activate spatial memory, meaning that Sora videos also tripped up the brain’s more fundamental systems for sorting real from imagined.
—Tim Requarth, Longreads, 9 Apr. 2026
Some version of this happens in all your books—an imagined future opens up new possibilities in the present.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Fire changed human habitation in ways our ancestors could hardly have imagined.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
The 22-10 Braves couldn’t have imagined a much better start.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
What started as a simple idea tied to her age has grown into something far bigger than her family ever imagined.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
These might seem like separate systems, and therefore different from the kind of centralized panopticon imagined in the pulp sci-fi our parents might have read.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
And here in Florida, that verdict arrives every day — in the rumble of moving trucks, in the new neighbors from up north, and in the quiet realization that the people paying the bills were never nearly as trapped as the politicians imagined.
—Larry Clifton, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
While Katy Perry imagined her dress with a gothic, futuristic accent, Emma Watson interpreted the theme by wearing a dress made of water bottles.
—Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
In reality, many Americans imagined the new nation to be a Protestant country.
—David Mislin, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Then, a shift to the imagined world.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
But, this specific adaptation could be equally advantaged by presenting an imagined hell within our lesser, present one.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Imagine Communities Audience–media relations also cement the notion of imagined community of viewers of that certain program.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Though the two are poised to be forever tied and compared to one another based on the stunning trade and public relations meltdown that occurred afterwards, neither rookie appeared interested in playing into any sort of imagined feud.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026
But his family takes Iván in as his experiences begin to dissolve into the imagined portrait of Celestino.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Instead of small neighborhood stores with limited inventory, Marcus and Blank imagined warehouse-sized spaces filled with everything homeowners or contractors might need — from lumber and drywall to appliances and lighting.
—Alexandria Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Piech’s experience suggests that Sora videos could activate spatial memory, meaning that Sora videos also tripped up the brain’s more fundamental systems for sorting real from imagined.
—Tim Requarth, Longreads, 9 Apr. 2026
Some version of this happens in all your books—an imagined future opens up new possibilities in the present.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
Thus the god of the clan, the totemic principle, can be none other than the clan itself, but the clan transfigured and imagined.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Fire changed human habitation in ways our ancestors could hardly have imagined.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
The 22-10 Braves couldn’t have imagined a much better start.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
What started as a simple idea tied to her age has grown into something far bigger than her family ever imagined.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
These might seem like separate systems, and therefore different from the kind of centralized panopticon imagined in the pulp sci-fi our parents might have read.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
And here in Florida, that verdict arrives every day — in the rumble of moving trucks, in the new neighbors from up north, and in the quiet realization that the people paying the bills were never nearly as trapped as the politicians imagined.
—Larry Clifton, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
While Katy Perry imagined her dress with a gothic, futuristic accent, Emma Watson interpreted the theme by wearing a dress made of water bottles.
—Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
In reality, many Americans imagined the new nation to be a Protestant country.
—David Mislin, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagined
Adjective
-
If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As originally envisioned, the historical action epic Desert Warrior would be a film of groundbreaking firsts.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That includes the 49ers, who walked away with a set of three draft picks Friday that no one envisioned.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Construction in the Arizona desert damaged an enormous Indigenous ground etching resembling a fish that is thought to be at least 1,000 years old.—
Jake Spring,
Washington Post,
1 May 2026
-
Some thought the Chiefs didn’t get great value for L’Jarius Sneed in the 2024 trade that sent the cornerback to the Titans.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Neither of them could have guessed at the time how their lives would later intersect.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Berg guessed that the flagellar motor was a rotor that turned the flagellum like a screw.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That is the unhinged (complimentary) premise of Thomas Elrod’s debut, in which the fictional cult-classic epic fantasy Malicarn series is staged on an island with unwitting actors temporarily imprinted with the characters’ backstories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
Midtown office buildings One of the most recognizable locations in the film is 1221 Avenue of the Americas, a 51-story tower in Midtown Manhattan that served as the exterior for the fictional Runway magazine headquarters in the original 2006 film.—
Kelly McGreal , Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But for many, the occasion carried a deeper meaning, one centered on those who dreamed of connecting Los Angeles to Chicago by road generations before them.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
One participant dreamed of asking for help from a fellow-passenger in a car.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The Sixers’ Nick Nurse is widely believed to be under pressure too, meaning Sunday’s loss to Boston, which put them in a 3-1 hole, qualifies as a step in the wrong direction.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
He is believed to have acted alone and is set to face criminal charges on Monday.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then the ball was tipped, and Hyland assumed his role as an irritant of Denver’s corner shooters.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.—
Karen Gardiner,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imagined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagined. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
