images
images — noun
1. pictures of things or people that you can see, such as photographs, drawings, or
pictures of things or people that you can see, such as photographs, drawings, or pictures shown on a screen or made by a mirror or camera lens
Imani uploaded thirty wedding images to a shared family album.
concrete: upload images to album
The old telescope produced very clear images of the moon's craters.
images of N - what the picture shows
Doctors used MRI images to find the small crack in Tunde's knee.
Reema watched her own images twist and stretch in the funhouse mirrors.
The new phone can take sharp images even in a dark room.
- pictures
everyday and informal; covers the same ground but feels less technical
- photographs
only for camera-made images, not drawings or screen pictures
- shots
informal for camera photos, often used by people talking about a single take
文法句型
images of N
show/display/save images
[adjective] images
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'pictures' or 'photos' but slightly more formal, and the preferred word in technical or scientific contexts (satellite, medical, digital).
常見錯誤
2. the views that the public has about a company, brand, politician, or country, of
the views that the public has about a company, brand, politician, or country, often shaped by news, advertising, and social media
The two airlines spent millions on advertising to repair their public images after the crash.
repair public images - PR / crisis response
Both candidates worked hard to soften their images before the final debate.
soften one's image - presentational adjustment
Luxury car brands carefully protect their images by choosing where their cars appear on screen.
Years of scandal damaged the images of several once-trusted charities.
- reputations
broader; covers past actions and trust, not just outward presentation
- public faces
informal; the carefully prepared side shown to the public
- brands
marketing sense; the whole identity sold to buyers
文法句型
the images of N
build/manage/protect images
public images
用法筆記
Usually plural when comparing or grouping several brands, politicians, or institutions. For a single subject's public face the singular 'image' is far more common.
常見錯誤
3. pictures or scenes that appear in your mind, often produced by memory, imaginati
pictures or scenes that appear in your mind, often produced by memory, imagination, or things you have read
Yara could not get the images of the fire out of her head for weeks.
images of N in one's head - memory imagery
The poem creates strong images of a winter forest at dawn.
create images of - reader imagery
Before sleep, Kofi pictured calm images of a beach to slow his thoughts.
The news report left disturbing images in many viewers' minds.
- pictures
everyday; 'pictures in my head' is the most common informal version
- impressions
broader; includes feelings and ideas, not only visual scenes
- visions
more dramatic; often religious, prophetic, or imagined futures
文法句型
images of N (in someone's mind/head)
form/conjure images
vivid/disturbing images
用法筆記
Sense overlaps with sense 1 in some contexts; the difference is whether the picture exists outside the mind (sense 1) or only inside it (sense 3). Adjectives like 'mental', 'vivid', 'haunting', 'disturbing' usually flag this sense.
常見錯誤
4. the vivid descriptions and word-pictures that a writer or speaker uses to help r
the vivid descriptions and word-pictures that a writer or speaker uses to help readers or listeners see, hear, or feel what is being described
Hana's short stories are full of strong images of Kyoto's narrow streets.
rich images of place - literary description
The speech worked because of its simple but powerful images of family and home.
powerful images in speech / rhetoric
Critics praised the novel for its quiet images of life on a small farm.
The teacher asked the class to underline all the images of the sea in the poem.
- imagery
uncountable cover-term; 'the imagery of the poem' rather than 'the images of the poem'
- descriptions
more general; includes any portrayal, not only vivid sensory ones
- metaphors
specifically figurative comparisons; one tool a writer uses to build images
文法句型
images of N
rich in images
the poet's images
用法筆記
Common in literary criticism, essays about writing, and English-class discussion. Distinguish from sense 3 (the picture in a reader's mind) — this sense is the writer's chosen language, while sense 3 is what the reader sees in their head.
5. people who look almost exactly like other people, usually said when comparing tw
people who look almost exactly like other people, usually said when comparing two or more pairs of close relatives or lookalikes
The twin girls are the spitting images of their grandmother as a teenager.
the spitting images of N - fixed phrase
Several boys at the festival were perfect images of their favourite singer.
Aoi and her cousin are the living images of two old film stars from Tokyo.
Tourists often mistake the actors for the images of the historical kings on the coins.
- doubles
any close lookalike, related or not; less about family resemblance
- lookalikes
informal; often used of celebrity copies
- spitting images
exact phrase for the same idea; very informal
文法句型
the [very/spitting] images of N
用法筆記
Almost always appears with the modifiers 'spitting', 'living', 'perfect', or 'very'. Without one of these, 'images' rarely carries this 'lookalike' meaning. Plural use compares two or more pairs at once.
常見錯誤
images — verb
1. (of a person) forms a clear picture of something or someone in the mind; imagine
(of a person) forms a clear picture of something or someone in the mind; imagines
The novelist images the lost city through the eyes of a young soldier returning home.
images N - literary 'imagines'
In her diary, Yumi images how her future garden in Osaka might look in spring.
images how-clause
The poem images a quiet morning by the river before the village wakes.
When the architect images a new museum, she often starts by sketching the light inside.
文法句型
images + N
images + how/what-clause
用法筆記
Mostly literary or formal; in everyday English, 'imagines' or 'pictures' is far more common. Subject is usually a writer, artist, or designer whose work involves visualising scenes.
常見錯誤
2. produces a picture or scan of something using a machine such as a camera, satell
produces a picture or scan of something using a machine such as a camera, satellite, or medical scanner so that it can be studied
A new satellite images the same coastline every six hours to track storms.
satellite images N at intervals
The hospital scanner images soft tissue more clearly than the older machine ever did.
domain: medical imaging
Dr. Adaeze images each patient's heart from several angles before suggesting surgery.
Rare paintings are now imaged in fine detail so scholars can study them online.
- scans
everyday word for medical or document imaging
- photographs
for camera-only work; not used of MRI / ultrasound
- captures
general; covers single shots from any device
文法句型
images + N
be imaged by N (scanner/satellite/camera)
用法筆記
Common in scientific, medical, and technical writing. Subject is usually a machine or the person operating one. Often passive when the focus is on the object being scanned.
常見錯誤
3. describes something in vivid words or pictures, especially in a way that stands
describes something in vivid words or pictures, especially in a way that stands for a larger idea
The painter images the river as a long silver ribbon cutting through the valley.
images N as M - symbolic description
Several old songs image loneliness through the picture of an empty harbour at dusk.
images N through M - figurative
The essay images justice as a slow-moving river that no one can stop.
Linh's photo book images post-war Hanoi in soft light and faded colour.
- depicts
broader; can be visual or in words, less symbolic in tone
- portrays
neutral; common in essays about characters or events
- symbolises
stresses that one thing stands for another; the implicit force of this sense
文法句型
images + N as ...
images + N + adverb
用法筆記
Highly literary; appears mainly in art and literary criticism. Often pairs with 'as' to introduce the symbolic comparison.
4. (of a smooth surface) gives back a picture of something, or causes a picture to
(of a smooth surface) gives back a picture of something, or causes a picture to appear on another surface
Still lake water images the dark pines along the far shore.
[surface] images N - reflective
The polished marble floor of the hall images every passing guest like a quiet mirror.
A small lens at the back images the scene onto a sheet of white paper.
On clear nights the bay images the city lights almost as sharply as a photograph.
文法句型
[surface] images + N
用法筆記
Subject is typically a smooth surface (water, mirror, polished floor) or an optical part (lens, prism). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is passive reflection or natural projection, not the active operation of a scanner.