imagination
noun uk/ɪˌmædʒ.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ us/ɪˌmædʒ.əˈneɪ.ʃən/
B1 [ C or U ]想象力
the ability to form pictures in the mind
My younger son has a very vivid (= active) imagination. 我的小儿子想象力很丰富。
I can never make up stories - I have absolutely no imagination. 我从来都不会编故事——我根本没什么想象力。
For some reason the story captured/caught the imagination of the public (= made them very interested). 由于某种原因，这件事引起了公众的关注。
It couldn't by any stretch of the imagination be described as a (= it is certainly not a) beautiful city. 这座城市再怎么说也称不上漂亮。
There's a sex scene in the film which apparently leaves nothing to the imagination (= shows sexual parts of the body very clearly). 这部电影中有一个十分露骨的性爱场面，没有留下任何想象的余地。
[ U ]幻觉;幻想;空想
something that you think exists or is true, although in fact it is not real or true
Was she paying him a lot of attention or was it just my imagination? 她是特别注意他呢，还是这一切只是我的臆想？
Is it my imagination or is David behaving strangely at the moment? 是我的错觉呢，还是戴维现在真的是行为古怪？
B1 [ U ]创造力
the ability to think of new ideas
It's a job that needs someone with a bit of imagination. 做这项工作需要有一点儿创造力。
- More examples
- Was it just my imagination or did I hear John's voice in the other room?
- He's one of those people with a very vivid imagination - every time he hears a noise he's convinced it's someone breaking in.
- The American drive to land a man on the Moon captured the imagination of the whole world.
- Her imagination was kindled by the exciting stories her grandmother told her.
- One of poetry's functions is to somehow unlock the imagination.