envision

Compared meaning: imagine something in your mind (verb).

比较义项：在脑海中想象、设想（动词）。

• picture

  Casual, everyday way to imagine a scene or someone's reaction; not tied to the future and not a deliberate mental technique like visualize.

  口语化、日常用语，用来想象某个场景或他人的反应；不特指未来，也不像 visualize 那样是刻意的心理练习。

  I can just picture Tom complaining if we arrive five minutes late.

  我几乎能想象出，如果我们迟到五分钟，汤姆会抱怨的样子。

• envision 本词

  Suggests imagining a specific future situation or possibility, often used when discussing plans, goals, or how things might turn out; more formal than picture.

  指想象某种具体的未来情形或可能性，常用于谈论计划、目标或事情将来的样子；比 picture 更正式。

  Try to envision your career five years from now and where you want to be.

  试着设想一下五年后你的职业会是什么样子，以及你想达到的位置。

• visualize

  Emphasizes forming a clear, vivid mental image, often as a deliberate technique used in training, meditation, or goal-setting, rather than a casual guess.

  强调在脑海中形成清晰生动的画面，常作为训练、冥想或设定目标时刻意使用的技巧，而不是随意的猜测。

  Athletes often visualize crossing the finish line before every big race.

  运动员在每场重要比赛前常常想象自己冲过终点线的画面。

All three mean to imagine something, but the tone differs. Picture is casual, for imagining a scene or reaction. Envision means imagining a future situation, more formal, often about plans. Visualize means forming a clear, vivid mental image, often as a deliberate technique.

这三个词在“想象”这一动作上意思相近，但语气和使用场景略有不同：picture 更口语随意，常用来想象具体画面或他人的反应；envision 侧重想象未来的可能情况，语气更正式；visualize 强调形成清晰生动的画面，常用于目标设定或冥想等刻意练习。这里不比较 picture 作名词表示“照片”的用法。