imagine

i|mag|ine [ ı`mædʒın ] verb ***

1. ) transitive to form a picture of something or someone in your mind:

She tried to imagine the scene.

imagine (someone) doing something: Imagine yourself sitting behind your big new desk.

imagine someone/something as something: I imagine him as a distinguished old gentleman.

imagine someone/something to be something: I think they imagine the company to be bigger than it is.

imagine (that): Imagine that you are lying on a beach.

a ) to have an idea of what something is like or what it might be like:

It's hard to imagine a more unpleasant job.

imagine/you can imagine/just imagine something: Imagine my surprise when they announced I had won!

imagine (that): He had never imagined that digging was such hard work.

imagine what/why/how etc.: You can imagine what the newspapers would do if they ever found out about this.

fondly imagine (=have a mistaken idea about something): I had fondly imagined that riding a camel would be easy.

2. ) intransitive or transitive used for showing that you are surprised by something or cannot believe it:

imagine doing something: Imagine going out dressed like that!

(just) imagine/imagine that: She earns over 20 million dollars for each movie! Imagine that!

3. ) transitive to have an idea that something exists or is happening, when in fact it does not exist or is not happening:

She always imagines the worst (=thinks the worst possible thing has happened).

There! I heard it again! There's nothing there you're just imagining things!

imagine (that): In these situations, you imagine everyone is laughing at you.

4. ) transitive to think that something is probably true: SUPPOSE:

imagine (that): I imagine they'll have left already.

It's difficult, I imagine, to keep your interest alive after doing the job for 30 years.