imaginative

/ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈma-jə-nə-tiv i-ˈmaj-nə-tiv; -ˈma-jə-ˌnā-/ (ame, mw)

imaginative — adjective

  • imaginativepositive
  • more imaginativecomparative
  • most imaginativesuperlative

1. An imaginative idea, story, or design is one that is fresh, unusual, and based o

1.形容詞B1
釋義

An imaginative idea, story, or design is one that is fresh, unusual, and based on someone's original thinking rather than on a familiar pattern.

例句

The children's book won an award for its imaginative illustrations and clever story.

attributive use before a noun

Ari came up with an imaginative way to recycle old bottles into garden pots.

collocation: imaginative way to + infinitive

同義詞
  • creative

    more general; 'imaginative' emphasises thinking that goes beyond what is expected

  • inventive

    focuses on practical problem-solving or new devices; 'imaginative' can be purely artistic

  • original

    stresses that something is unlike anything seen before; 'imaginative' also allows for clever reworking of existing ideas

反義詞

文法句型

imaginative + noun

be/seem + imaginative

常見錯誤

❌My little sister has an imaginary friend who lives under the bed.' (when you mean creative).
✅My little sister is very imaginative
💡she tells amazing stories.' — 'imaginary' means 'not real'; 'imaginative' means 'showing creativity'.

2. Someone who is imaginative can easily come up with new or surprising ideas and f

2.形容詞B1
釋義

Someone who is imaginative can easily come up with new or surprising ideas and find clever ways to deal with problems or create things.

例句

Hao is an imaginative child who turns cardboard boxes into spaceships and castles.

predicative use: is imaginative

The company hired Saira because she was imaginative and found fresh solutions to old problems.

同義詞
  • creative

    very similar; 'imaginative' leans toward daydreaming and mental invention, while 'creative' often includes artistic skill

  • inventive

    stronger emphasis on creating practical or mechanical solutions

  • resourceful

    focuses on solving problems with limited materials; 'imaginative' can be purely playful or artistic

反義詞

文法句型

be + imaginative

highly / wildly / very + imaginative

用法筆記

Commonly modified by degree adverbs: 'highly imaginative', 'extremely imaginative', 'wildly imaginative'. The comparative and superlative forms ('more imaginative', 'most imaginative') are also frequent.

常見錯誤

❌She is imaginative about monsters in her closet.' (confusing with vision/hallucination).
✅She has an imaginative mind that comes up with wonderful stories.
💡'imaginative' describes creative thinking, not seeing things that are not there.