visionary
visionary — adjective
- visionarypositive
- more visionarycomparative
- most visionarysuperlative
1. able to imagine what the future could look like for a particular field and to co
able to imagine what the future could look like for a particular field and to come up with new ideas or plans that shape that future
Bao's visionary approach to renewable energy attracted investors from around the world.
collocation: visionary approach
Sayaka won a prize for her visionary plan to redesign the city's transport network.
The architect's visionary blueprint for the harbour was admired but took twenty years to build.
Christopher's visionary thinking about online education shaped the school's strategy for the next ten years.
- forward-thinking
slightly more informal; commonly used for leaders and policies
- innovative
emphasises novelty rather than long-term foresight
- prescient
more formal; focuses on predicting future events correctly
- short-sighted
describes lack of consideration for the future
- conventional
describes thinking that follows existing norms without innovation
文法句型
visionary + noun
be + visionary
用法筆記
Frequently used as an attributive adjective before nouns such as 'leader', 'idea', 'plan', 'design', and 'approach'.
常見錯誤
2. connected with or describing a religious experience in which someone sees a holy
connected with or describing a religious experience in which someone sees a holy figure, a heavenly place, or a supernatural event
Nala described a visionary experience in which she saw a bright figure beside her bed.
collocation: visionary experience
Eleni's visionary writings drew on Coptic visionary traditions from fourth-century Egypt, describing encounters with angelic messengers.
Tamar's diary records the visionary dreams she had during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Hyun analysed visionary poems by thirteenth-century nuns who described visits to heaven in their religious literature thesis.
- prophetic
stronger emphasis on divine revelation or prediction of future events
- apocalyptic
specifically relates to visions about the end of the world
- mystical
broader term for spiritual experiences beyond ordinary perception
文法句型
visionary + noun (experience, dream, writing)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used attributively (before a noun) and appears most often in religious, theological, or literary-historical contexts. It is less common in everyday conversation.
3. describing ideas, plans, or designs that are too imaginative or idealistic to be
describing ideas, plans, or designs that are too imaginative or idealistic to be achievable in the real world
Quinn's plan to build a floating city was rejected by the coastal planning committee over safety and cost concerns.
The young architect's visionary glass-building plans were admired but the costs made them impossible to realise.
collocation: visionary but [too expensive / impractical]
Defne admitted her tidal-energy plan was visionary yet acknowledged it would need fifty years to become commercially viable.
The committee praised Tanvi's creativity but said her budget numbers were visionary rather than realistic.
- utopian
stronger negative sense of being impossible or naive about society
- impractical
more direct and neutral; lacks the hint of admiration that 'visionary' retains
- idealistic
focuses on high principles rather than mere fantasy
文法句型
be + visionary
visionary + noun (plan, idea, scheme)
用法筆記
Often carries a mildly critical tone — the speaker acknowledges imagination but doubts feasibility. Common in reviews of business plans, architectural proposals, and policy ideas.
常見錯誤
visionary — noun
- visionarysingular
- visionariesplural
1. someone with original, ground-breaking ideas about how the future should unfold,
someone with original, ground-breaking ideas about how the future should unfold, who actively works to make those ideas happen
The tech entrepreneur was a visionary who imagined online shopping long before it became common.
Steve Jobs is often remembered as a visionary who transformed personal computing and mobile phones.
remembered as a visionary
The professor of architecture was a visionary whose green-city ideas influenced planners worldwide.
Dr. Okafor is a visionary in the field of affordable medical devices for rural communities.
- innovator
focuses on creating new things rather than imagining the future
- pioneer
emphasises being the first to do something in a new area
- trailblazer
more informal; suggests someone who opens a path for others to follow
- traditionalist
someone who prefers established ways over change
- follower
someone who adopts ideas rather than originating them
文法句型
a/the + visionary
visionary + in + field/area
用法筆記
This is the most common sense in modern media. It is used positively to describe entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, and leaders who drive change.
常見錯誤
2. someone who claims or is believed to see holy figures, heavenly places, or super
someone who claims or is believed to see holy figures, heavenly places, or supernatural events that ordinary people cannot perceive
The old monk was seen as a visionary who had met the Buddha during meditation.
regarded as a visionary
The fifteenth-century visionary Joan of Arc said she heard the voices of saints.
The young shepherd told the villagers a heavenly figure gave him messages, and they saw him as a visionary.
The abbess dismissed the woman's claims and would not accept her as a true visionary.
文法句型
a/the + visionary
regarded as + a visionary
用法筆記
In modern usage, this sense appears mostly in historical or theological discussions. In everyday speech, 'seer' or 'prophet' is more common for this meaning.
3. a person whose ideas are highly imaginative but have little connection to what i
a person whose ideas are highly imaginative but have little connection to what is realistic or achievable in practice
The young inventor who claimed to make fuel from sea water was dismissed as a visionary.
dismissed as a visionary — critical use
The local paper called the artist a visionary whose paintings never sold.
The start-up founder was labelled a visionary, though his plans never attracted serious funding.
Critics said the architect was a visionary whose buildings looked beautiful but were not comfortable.
- realist
someone who focuses on what is actually achievable
- pragmatist
someone who emphasises practical outcomes over ideals
文法句型
dismiss/criticise + as + a visionary
用法筆記
Carries a dismissive or ironic tone. The speaker suggests the person has imagination but lacks the practical sense to make anything work. Distinguish from sense 2 (positive FORWARD THINKER) which implies successful implementation.