leave to the imagination

verb

To omit, to leave out, to leave unstated.

“He stripped down to a pair of see-through briefs that left nothing to the imagination.”

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Meanings

verbleave to the imagination (third-person singular simple present leaves to the imagination, present participle leaving to the imagination, simple past and past participle left to the imagination)

present singular third person leaves to the imagination · participle present leaving to the imagination · participle past left to the imagination · past left to the imagination

  1. Not to reveal.
    1. idiomatictransitiveTo omit, to leave out, to leave unstated.

      The new members of the crime organization got the most dangerous jobs. I'll leave the specifics to your imagination.

    2. idiomatictransitiveTo cover.

      He stripped down to a pair of see-through briefs that left nothing to the imagination.

Cite this entry
APA

leave to the imagination. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20to%20the%20imagination

MLA

“leave to the imagination.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20to%20the%20imagination. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leave to the imagination,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20to%20the%20imagination.

Source: leave to the imagination on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.