imagine

B1 · Intermediate

v. to think that something is probably true, even if you are not sure.

v. to suppose, assume, or conjecture; often used to introduce a tentative opinion or a polite inquiry.

“I imagine the shop will be very busy on a Saturday morning.”

“I imagine that the board will require a more detailed financial breakdown before they approve such a significant increase in the marketing budget.”

C1 · Advanced Informal · Slang

v. you use this to suggest that an idea is silly or that someone is wrong to think it.

v. used as an imperative to mock a proposition by suggesting it is absurd or poorly conceived.

“Imagine thinking that the earth is flat in this day and age.”

“Imagine believing that a simple software update could resolve such a fundamental hardware flaw.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Slang · Informal

n. a short story where the reader is a character meeting a famous person.

n. a brief piece of fan fiction, often written in the second person, that places the reader in a romantic or dramatic scenario with a celebrity.

“She spent the afternoon reading a Harry Styles imagine on her phone.”

“The platform is flooded with thousands of celebrity imagines, ranging from brief romantic encounters to elaborate alternate-universe dramas.”