Definitions
01mental image-making
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind of things that are not there.
n. the cognitive faculty of forming mental representations of objects or events that are not currently perceived by the senses.
“The book was so descriptive that it really captured my imagination.”
“A child's imagination can transform a simple cardboard box into a sophisticated spacecraft or a medieval fortress within seconds.”
Usage
uncountable in this general sense
02creativity
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the ability to think of new and interesting ideas.
n. creative resourcefulness or the capacity for inventive thought.
“The architect showed great imagination in her design for the new library.”
“Solving the energy crisis will require a combination of rigorous scientific data and bold political imagination.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03false belief
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. something that you think is real but is actually only in your mind.
n. the act of fantasising or the construction of false mental images, often contrasted with objective reality.
“There is no ghost in the attic; it is just your imagination.”
“The patient's fears were dismissed as mere imagination until physical evidence of the condition finally emerged.”
Usage
often used with 'only' or 'just'
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “imagination” in context.
Verb
01. capture the imagination
“The story of the young inventor captured the imagination of the entire nation.”
verb + noun
02. fire the imagination
“The teacher used colorful props to fire the imagination of her students.”
verb + noun
03. lack the imagination
“The critics argued that the director lacked the imagination to adapt the complex novel.”
verb + noun
04. stretch the imagination
“It stretches the imagination to believe that such a small bird can fly across the ocean.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. fertile imagination
“A writer needs a fertile imagination to produce a new story every year.”
adj + noun
06. vivid imagination
“As a child, she had a vivid imagination and often invented elaborate fantasy worlds.”
adj + noun
07. wild imagination
“Don't let your wild imagination run away with you; there is a logical explanation.”
adj + noun
Preposition
08. beyond the imagination
“The beauty of the tropical island was beyond the imagination of the tourists.”
prep + noun
09. in the imagination
“The monster only exists in the imagination of the frightened little boy.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“He grew up only 10 blocks from the American Museum of Natural History, where a frightening skull display first captured his imagination.” “At Cambridge, he learned that the Latin word historia can be translated as either “history” or “story.” “That means evidence and imagination intermingled,” he says.” “Throughout Black Americans’ long history of struggling for freedom , imagination has been a way of dreaming up new conditions and clinging to hope for the future.” “It gives them a form of expression that fuels their imagination and empathy for themselves and others.” Etymology
From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/imagination
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0