Meanings
comparative more unimaginative · superlative most unimaginative
- Not imaginative.
For the first ten years of nationalisation a further note of overall gloom was added by the depressing policy of unimaginative Regional colour schemes, indifferently applied.
1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 2512 more examples
Lighting was unimaginative for the standard stock with naked tungsten filament bulbs and metal reflectors. However, all compartments had individual reading lights above the seats with attractive glass shades.
1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 398His views were echoed by The Economist, which feared that the effects of modernisation would be no more than "chromium-plated" inefficiency caused by unimaginative railway management and adverse union reaction.
2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 43Synonyms: uncreative, uninventive, uninspired, unoriginal, linear · Antonyms: imaginative
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivedeficient in originality or creativity; lacking powers of invention
adjectivedealing only with concrete facts
adjectivelacking spontaneity or originality or individuality
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Germanic*un-
- Proto-West Germanic*un-
- Old Englishun-
- Middle Englishun-
- Englishun-
- Englishimaginative
- Englishunimaginative
From un- + imaginative.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish mielikuvitukseton, käsittämätön
- mielikuvituksetonnot imaginative
- käsittämätönnot imaginative
Greek ανευφάνταστος
- ανευφάνταστος (aneffántastos)not imaginative
Swedish fantasilös
- fantasilösnot imaginative
Cite this entry
unimaginative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unimaginative
“unimaginative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unimaginative. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unimaginative,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unimaginative.
Source: unimaginative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.