Image — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈi-mij/ im·age

Meaning & Definition of Image

Image (noun)

  1. a visual representation of something
  2. a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
  3. a picture produced on an electronic display (such as a television or computer screen)

Image (verb)

  1. to create a representation of; also, to form an image of
  2. to represent symbolically
  3. to call up a mental picture of, imagine

Image (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something or someone that strongly resembles another

    "the girl is growing up to be the perfect image of her mother"

    similar: alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin
    related: effigy, portrait, portrayal, companion, fellow, mate, equal, equivalent, analogue, parallel
    near: antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse

  2. a two-dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing

    "a cave with prehistoric images of wild animals"

    similar: icon, illustration, likeness, picture
    related: delineation, depiction, representation, resemblance, view, portrait, daub, drawing, finger painting, etching, silhouette, sketch, watercolor, caricature, cartoon, doodle, collage, montage, photograph, hieroglyph, hieroglyphic, ideogram, ideograph, pictograph, diagram

  3. something imagined or pictured in the mind

    "a sentimental visit to her childhood home to see if it still matched her mental image of the place"

    similar: abstraction, cogitation, concept, conception, idea, impression, intellection, mind's eye, notion, picture, thought
    related: apprehension, premonition, presentiment, preconception, prejudice, prepossession, chimera, delusion, hallucination, illusion, phantasm, caprice, conceit, fancy, freak, kink, vagary, whim, cognition, observation, perception, reflection, assumption, belief, conclusion, conviction, conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, speculation, supposition, surmise, theory, brainchild, brainstorm, brain wave, inspiration
    near: actuality, fact, reality

  4. a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)

    "a general who became for many the very image of the stoic warrior"

    similar: abstract, avatar, embodier, embodiment, epitome, externalization, genius, icon, incarnation, incorporation, instantiation, manifestation, objectification, personification, personifier
    related: actualization, concretization, exemplification, personalization, realization, substantiation, essence, quintessence, soul, archetype, exemplar, model, paradigm, pattern, reincarnation

Image (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to present a picture of

    "in the painting Sacagawea is imaged as an intrepid woman pointing the way for Lewis and Clark"

    similar: depict, picture, portray, represent
    related: delineate, describe, document, render, outline, silhouette, sketch, illustrate, show, diagram, caricature

  2. to give a representation or account of in words

    "the brochure images a vacation at the resort in language that makes you want to make a reservation this instant"

    similar: delineate, depict, describe, draw, limn, paint, picture, portray, render, set out, sketch
    related: characterize, define, label, qualify, represent, demonstrate, illustrate, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report, tell, display, exhibit, show, hint, suggest, draft, outline, silhouette, trace, vignette, summarize, sum up, touch off, redescribe, reimage
    near: color, distort, falsify, garble, misdescribe, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, twist, warp

  3. to reproduce or show (an exact likeness) as a mirror would

    "the burnished chrome fixtures imaged the jewelry store's glittery merchandise"

    similar: mirror, reflect
    related: clone, copy, duplicate, imitate, reduplicate, repeat, replicate, reproduce

  4. to form a mental picture of

    "anyone who still images the cape's coastline as a scene of unspoiled beauty is in for a rude awakening"

    similar: conceit (chiefly dialect), conceive, conjure (up), dream, envisage, envision, fancy, fantasize, fantasy, feature, ideate, imagine, picture, see, vision, visualize
    related: daydream, stargaze, hallucinate, re-create, reflect, relive, reminisce, contemplate, meditate, muse, ponder, ruminate, concoct, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, plan, project, foresee, prefigure

Related Entry: Mirror image (noun)

Mirror image is a different word from Image. The synonyms below are for mirror image, not for image.

  1. something or someone that strongly resembles another

    "looking at the idealistic intern, the elderly physician could not help but see the mirror image of himself 40 years earlier"

    similar: alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, image, likeness, look-alike, match, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin
    related: effigy, portrait, portrayal, companion, fellow, mate, equal, equivalent, analogue, parallel
    near: antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse

Related Entry: Spitting image (noun)

Spitting image is a different word from Image. The synonyms below are for spitting image, not for image.

  1. something or someone that strongly resembles another

    "with the help of either movie magic or makeup, the actress appeared to be the spitting image of the queen"

    similar: alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, image, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, twin
    related: effigy, portrait, portrayal, companion, fellow, mate, equal, equivalent, analogue, parallel
    near: antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse

Related Entry: Self-image (noun)

Self-image is a different word from Image. The synonyms below are for self-image, not for image.

  1. the way you think about yourself and your abilities or appearance

    "She has a positive self-image buoyed by her years of success."

    similar: self-concept, self-perception, introspection, self-contemplation, self-examination, self-observation, self-questioning, self-reflection, self-scrutiny, self-searching, soul-searching, self-analysis, self-awareness, self-consciousness, self-recognition, introversion, self-absorption, self-centeredness, self-concern, self-involvement, self-actualization, self-esteem, self-discovery, self-exploration, self-fulfillment, self-realization, self-knowledge, self-revelation, contemplation, meditation, reflection, rumination

Related Entry: Father image (noun)

Father image is a different word from Image. The synonyms below are for father image, not for image.

  1. as in father figure

    similar: father figure, dad, daddy, father, old man, pa, papa, pater (chiefly British), pop, sire, paterfamilias, patriarch, stepfather

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Image

The most common words with a similar meaning to Image:

Chiefly dialect: conceit
alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin, icon, illustration, abstraction, cogitation, concept, conception, idea, impression, intellection, mind's eye, notion, thought, abstract, avatar, embodier, embodiment, epitome, externalization, genius

Related Words for Image

effigy, portrait, portrayal, companion, fellow, mate, equal, equivalent, analogue, parallel, delineation, depiction, representation, resemblance, view, daub, drawing, finger painting, etching, silhouette, watercolor, caricature, cartoon, doodle, collage, montage, photograph, hieroglyph, hieroglyphic, ideogram

Near Antonyms of Image

antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse, actuality, fact, reality, color, distort, falsify, garble, misdescribe, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, twist, warp

Word Forms of Image

Inflections: imaged, imaging

Derived words: imager (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Image

Middle English, "effigy, figure, mental impression of something observed, reflection, resemblance," borrowed from Anglo-French, shortened from imagene, borrowed from Latin imāgin-, imāgō "representation, reflection, apparition, semblance, copy, visible form," from imā- (probably the stem of an otherwise unattested verb *imārī with the same base as imitārī "to follow as a pattern, copy") + -gin-, -gō, denominal or deverbal noun suffix imitate

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Image

Words & Phrases Containing Image

image tube, disk image, father image, graven image, mirror image, real image, self-image, spitting image

Frequently Asked Questions about Image

What does "Image" mean?

"Image" means a visual representation of something. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a visual representation of something. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Image"?

Other words for "Image" include alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double and duplicate. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Image" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Image"?

There are 213 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Image". Common alternatives include alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication and facsimile.

How do you use "Image" in a sentence?

Examples of "Image" in a sentence: "the girl is growing up to be the perfect image of her mother"; "a cave with prehistoric images of wild animals"; "a sentimental visit to her childhood home to see if it still matched her mental image of the place".

Is "Image" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Image" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Image" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Image" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Image"?

"Image" is pronounced /ˈi-mij/ and divided into syllables as im·age.

What is the origin of the word "Image"?

"Image" comes from Middle English, "effigy, figure, mental impression of something observed, reflection, resemblance," borrowed from Anglo-French, shortened from imagene, borrowed from Latin imāgin-, imāgō "representation, reflection, apparition, semblance, copy, visible form," from imā- (probably the stem of an otherwise unattested verb *imārī with the same base as imitārī "to follow as a pattern, copy") + -gin-, -gō, denominal or deverbal noun suffix imitate. First known use: 13th century.