imagination

/ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˌma-jə-ˈnā-shən/ (ame, mw)

imagination — noun

  • imaginationsingular
  • imaginationsplural

1. the power to create visual scenes, people, or objects inside your head that you

1.名詞A2
釋義

the power to create visual scenes, people, or objects inside your head that you are not actually looking at with your eyes

例句

Lien had such a powerful imagination that she could picture entire fantasy worlds from her bedroom.

have + a powerful imagination to picture + noun phrase

The teacher asked the class to use their imagination and draw a scene from the story they had just read.

同義詞
  • mind's eye

    more poetic; refers specifically to the mental faculty of visualisation

  • fancy

    archaic or literary; suggests a lighter, more playful mental image

反義詞
  • reality

    what actually exists rather than what is pictured mentally

文法句型

have + a/an + adjective + imagination

use + possessive + imagination + to-infinitive

in + possessive + imagination

用法筆記

Often used with adjectives like vivid, active, or fertile to describe how strong someone's mental imaging ability is.

常見錯誤

❌I can see it on my imagination.
✅I can see it in my imagination.
💡the correct preposition is 'in', not 'on'.

2. a thought, idea, or fear that you have created in your own mind and that does no

2.名詞B1
釋義

a thought, idea, or fear that you have created in your own mind and that does not match what is really happening in the outside world

例句

Shirin thought she heard someone calling her name, but it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

possessive + imagination playing tricks on + pronoun

The strange noises in the old house were nothing more than the children's active imaginations making them feel afraid.

同義詞
  • fantasy

    suggests a more elaborate and often desirable imagined scenario

  • delusion

    stronger and more negative; implies a fixed false belief held despite clear evidence

反義詞
  • fact

    something known to be true or real

  • reality

    the state of things as they actually exist

文法句型

it + be + possessive + imagination

be + a figment of + possessive + imagination

pure/mere + imagination

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the pattern 'it was (just/only/all) your imagination' to reassure someone that what they perceived was not real.

常見錯誤

❌That noise is only in you imagination.
✅That noise is only in your imagination.
💡the possessive pronoun 'your' is needed, not 'you'.

3. the mental ability to come up with fresh, unusual, or clever ideas that go beyon

3.名詞A2
釋義

the mental ability to come up with fresh, unusual, or clever ideas that go beyond what already exists

例句

The company hired Otis because of his imagination and his ability to invent new products for the market.

Writing a novel requires a lot of imagination to create believable characters and keep readers interested.

requires + a lot of imagination + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • creativity

    nearly interchangeable; creativity slightly emphasises the act of producing, while imagination emphasises the internal ability

  • inventiveness

    focuses on the practical side — the skill of creating useful or original things

  • originality

    stresses the quality of being new and unlike anything existing

反義詞
  • convention

    following traditional or accepted ways of thinking

文法句型

have + imagination

take/require + imagination + to-infinitive

use + possessive + imagination

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable; you cannot say 'an imagination' when referring to creative ability (use 'a lot of imagination' or 'great imagination' instead).

常見錯誤

❌He has a great imaginations.
✅He has great imagination.
💡imagination is uncountable in this sense and does not take a plural form.

4. the skill of finding smart, practical ways to deal with difficult or surprising

4.名詞B2
釋義

the skill of finding smart, practical ways to deal with difficult or surprising situations, especially when you lack the usual tools or materials

例句

Joaquín used his imagination to cook dinner using only the grill when the power went out.

It takes real imagination to fix a broken bicycle with nothing but tape and an old shoelace.

takes + real imagination + to-infinitive (problem-solving context)

同義詞
  • resourcefulness

    direct synonym; slightly more formal and focuses on handling problems effectively

  • ingenuity

    emphasises cleverness and inventiveness in design or problem-solving

文法句型

take + imagination + to-infinitive

show/display + imagination + in/by + noun/verb-ing

用法筆記

Distinguish from the CREATIVITY sense: creativity is about generating original ideas, while this sense is about finding clever solutions within practical constraints.