imagination
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++i·ma·gi·na·tion /ɪˌmædʒəˈneɪʃən/ ●●● S3 W3 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]IMAGINE the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind 想象力 a storyteller with an incredible imagination 想象力极丰富的讲故事者 It does not take much imagination to understand their grief. 不难想象他们是多么悲伤。 With a little imagination, you can find great inexpensive gifts. 稍微动点脑筋，你就会找到物美价廉的礼物。2 be (a figment of) somebody’s imagination IMAGINEto be something that someone imagines, not something that really exists or happens 是某人的幻想[幻象] Did you hear that noise, or was it my imagination? 你听到那个声音了吗？ 还是那是我的幻觉？ These people do exist; they’re not figments of my imagination. 这些人确实存在，他们不是我凭空想象出来的。3 in somebody’s imagination IMAGINEonly existing or happening in someone’s mind, not in real life 只存在[发生]于某人的想象之中 For the refugees, home exists only in their imagination. 对于这些难民来说，家只存在于他们的想象之中。4 capture/catch somebody’s imagination INTERESTEDto make people feel very interested and excited 使某人出神，使某人入迷 American football really captured the imagination of the British public. 美式橄榄球确实使英国民众着迷。5 leave something to somebody’s imagination DESCRIBEto deliberately not describe something because you think someone can guess or imagine it 将某事留给某人自己去想象〔因认为某人能够猜出或想象到〕 Mercifully, the writer leaves most of the physical horrors to our imagination. 幸而作者把大部分有形的恐惧留给我们自己去想象。6 leave little/nothing to the imagination a) if someone’s clothes leave little or nothing to the imagination, the clothes are very thin or are worn in a way that shows the person’s body 没有想象的余地〔指又薄又贴身的衣服令身材显露无遗〕 Her black satin dress left nothing to the imagination. 她的黑色缎子连衣裙令身段显露无遗。 b) if something sexual or violent is described in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination, it is described in too much detail 〔对性爱或暴力事件的描述〕很露骨7. use your imagination spokenGUESS used to tell someone that they can easily guess the answer to a question, so you should not need to tell them 动动脑筋 → not by any stretch of the imagination at stretch2(4) COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa good imagination 丰富的想象力She's a lively child, with a good imagination. 她是个活泼的孩子，想象力很丰富。great imagination 杰出的想象力His paintings show great imagination. 他的画作展现出非凡的想象力。a vivid/fertile imagination (=an ability to think of a lot of ideas and things that could happen) 生动的/丰富的想象力She had a fertile imagination and a great sense of humour. 她想象力丰富并且很有幽默感。nWith your vivid imagination, you should write a book.an overactive/fevered imagination (=a mind that imagines strange things that are not real) 过于丰富的想象力These stories are the product of an overactive imagination. 这些故事都是想象力过于丰富的结果。the public imagination 公众的兴趣The story captured the public imagination. 这篇报道引起了公众的兴趣。creative imagination 创造性想象I don't have the creative imagination to be a writer. 我缺乏富于创造性的想象力，成不了作家。verbshave (an) imagination 有想象力Her poems show that she has a lot of imagination. 她的诗作表明她有丰富的想象力。use your imagination 发挥想象力Musicians need to use their imagination as well as their technical skills. 音乐家既要运用技巧又要发挥想象力。show/display imagination 展现想象力His latest paintings display a vivid imagination. 他最新的画作展现了生动的想象力。lack imagination 缺乏想象力nA lot of today's pop music seems to lack imagination.fire/stimulate somebody's imagination (=make someone use their imagination) 激发某人的想象力nThe aim of the exhibition is to stimulate people's imagination.phrasesbe full of imagination 充满想象力Her stories are full of imagination. 她的故事充满了想象力。a lack of imagination 缺乏想象力Their policies show a lack of imagination. 他们的政策显露出想象力的匮乏。let your imagination run wild (also let your imagination run riot British English) (=allow yourself to imagine many strange or wonderful things) 让想象力尽情发挥[自由驰骋]nHe uses painting as a way of letting his imagination run riot.Examples from the Corpus
imagination• Each of these views is part of or generated a coherent system, but they are systems fed by imagination.• Shakespeare has the most fertile imagination of all the poets.• Debbie has a very good imagination.• This would be a well-placed lesson to her in how to use her imagination a bit more.• These things belonged to the past moments in which he first envisioned them, images in photographs he took in his imagination.• Dressed in tweeds and constantly pipe smoking, his imagination often ran away with him.• The gymslip Lolita is not entirely a figment of the male imagination.• That this may not be the case in certain instances does not take much imagination to comprehend.• In my imagination and nightmares I have done time in an iron lung.• Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed really hostile.• Reading is a good way to develop a child's imagination at an early age.• Jack's vivid imagination often gave him bad dreams.• There's no-one knocking at the door - it must have been your imagination.• I don't have a photograph with me so you'll have to use your imagination.i·ma·gi·na·tion noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
mind or ideas your in the to ability pictures form Corpus
imagination
i‧ma‧gi‧na‧tion S3 W3 /ɪˌmædʒəˈneɪʃən, ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃən/
noun
a storyteller with an incredible imagination
It does not take much imagination to understand their grief.
With a little imagination, you can find great inexpensive gifts.
2. be (a figment of) sb’s imagination to be something that someone imagines, not something that really exists or happens:
Did you hear that noise, or was it my imagination?
These people do exist; they’re not figments of my imagination.
3. in sb’s imagination only existing or happening in someone’s mind, not in real life:
For the refugees, home exists only in their imagination.
4. capture/catch sb’s imagination to make people feel very interested and excited:
American football really captured the imagination of the British public.
5. leave something to sb’s imagination to deliberately not describe something because you think someone can guess or imagine it:
Mercifully, the writer leaves most of the physical horrors to our imagination.
6. leave little/nothing to the imagination
a. if someone’s clothes leave little or nothing to the imagination, the clothes are very thin or are worn in a way that shows the person’s body:
Her black satin dress left nothing to the imagination.
b. if something sexual or violent is described in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination, it is described in too much detail
7. use your imagination spoken used to tell someone that they can easily guess the answer to a question, so you should not need to tell them
⇨ not by any stretch of the imagination at stretch2(4)
■ adjectives
▪a good imagination She's a lively child, with a good imagination.
▪great imagination His paintings show great imagination.
▪a vivid/fertile imagination (=an ability to think of a lot of ideas and things that could happen) She had a fertile imagination and a great sense of humour. | With your vivid imagination, you should write a book.
▪an overactive/fevered imagination (=a mind that imagines strange things that are not real) These stories are the product of an overactive imagination.
▪the public imagination The story captured the public imagination.
▪creative imagination I don't have the creative imagination to be a writer.
■ verbs
▪have (an) imagination Her poems show that she has a lot of imagination.
▪use your imagination Musicians need to use their imagination as well as their technical skills.
▪show/display imagination His latest paintings display a vivid imagination.
▪lack imagination A lot of today's pop music seems to lack imagination.
▪fire/stimulate somebody's imagination (=make someone use their imagination) The aim of the exhibition is to stimulate people's imagination.
■ phrases
▪be full of imagination Her stories are full of imagination.
▪a lack of imagination Their policies show a lack of imagination.
▪let your imagination run wild (also let your imagination run riot British English) (=allow yourself to imagine many strange or wonderful things) He uses painting as a way of letting his imagination run riot.
i‧ma‧gi‧na‧tion S3 W3 /ɪˌmædʒəˈneɪʃən, ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃən/
noun Word Family: adjective: imaginable ≠ unimaginable, imaginary, imaginative ≠ unimaginative, unimagined; noun: imagination, imaginings; adverb: unimaginably, imaginatively; verb: imagine
1. [uncountable and countable] the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind: 2. be (a figment of) sb’s imagination to be something that someone imagines, not something that really exists or happens:
3. in sb’s imagination only existing or happening in someone’s mind, not in real life:
4. capture/catch sb’s imagination to make people feel very interested and excited:
5. leave something to sb’s imagination to deliberately not describe something because you think someone can guess or imagine it:
6. leave little/nothing to the imagination
a. if someone’s clothes leave little or nothing to the imagination, the clothes are very thin or are worn in a way that shows the person’s body:
b. if something sexual or violent is described in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination, it is described in too much detail
7. use your imagination spoken used to tell someone that they can easily guess the answer to a question, so you should not need to tell them
⇨ not by any stretch of the imagination at stretch2(4)
| COLLOCATIONS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ verbs
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ phrases
▪
▪
▪
