imagine

verb (T)

1 MENTAL PICTURE (not usually in progressive) to form a picture or idea in your mind about what something could be like: imagine (that): Try to imagine that you are a tourist arriving in London for the first time. | Close your eyes and imagine a tropical island. | imagine what/how/why etc: I can just imagine what the place is going to look like in a few years' time. | imagine sb doing sth: I can just imagine Sarah running her own business. | imagine doing sth: It's hard to imagine working in a place like that. | imagine sb/sth as: I never knew my grandmother but I always imagine her as a kind, gentle person. | imagine sb in/with/without etc: Somehow I can't imagine him without a beard.

2 WRONG IDEA to have a false or wrong idea about something: She doesn't love him, he's just imagining it. | imagined dangers | imagine (that): He imagines that people don't like him but they do. | imagine sb/sth to be sth: I was surprised when I saw the farm. I had imagined it to be much bigger.

3 THINK STH (not in progressive) to think that something is true, but without being sure or having proof: You must miss him, I imagine. | imagine (that): I imagine she's home by now if you want to phone her.

4 you can't imagine BrE spoken used to emphasize how good, bad etc something is: You can't imagine what a terrible week we had.

5 SURPRISED (just) imagine! spoken old-fashioned used to show surprise, shock, or disapproval: He dyed his hair bright yellow! Just imagine! | imagine doing sth: Imagine going all that way for nothing!