What does unimaginative mean?
Word: Unimaginative
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unimaginative means having or showing no new or interesting ideas.
Synonyms: uninspired, unoriginal
Antonyms: creative, original
How do you spell unimaginative?
Syllables: un - i - mag - i - na - tive
Tricky part: The ending is where most slips happen. After the second n the vowel is a, giving -ative, so an i in that spot is wrong.
Watch out for: unimaginitive, unimaginetive
Memory tip: An unimaginative plan is the opposite of a creative one, and the two words close the same way: -ative.
Unimaginative in a sentence
Example 1: Zara thought the ending of the novel was flat and unimaginative.
Example 2: Our first design for the class magazine cover looked unimaginative, so we started again.
Example 3: Serving plain rice every day felt unimaginative to the camp cook.
Fun Fact
Imagine, imaginative and unimaginative all go back to the Latin word imago, a picture or likeness, because to imagine is to form a picture in the mind.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Choose the pair of letters that completes the word correctly:
unim_g_native
a) i,i
b) e,i
c) a,i
d) a,e
Show answer
c) a,i. The middle of the word is spelt just as in image, so the gaps take a and then i.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word unimaginative as used in the sentence:
The judges found most of the robot entries unimaginative, though one team had built a robot that watered plants by itself.
a) ordinary
b) tedious
c) inventive
d) hesitant
Show answer
c) inventive. An inventive entry is full of new ideas, the reverse of what the judges complained about.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. repetitive 2. unimmaginative 3. monotonous 4. predictable
a) lacking any spark of originality
b) saying or doing the same thing again and again
c) easy to guess before it happens
d) dull because it never changes in tone or pace
Show answer
a) lacking any spark of originality. Word 2 should have a single m after un-i, so it is the misspelt one, and this meaning belongs to it.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A teacher writes one word, unimaginative, at the end of Aryan's story. What is she pointing out?
a) It has too many spelling errors.
b) It is far longer than it should be.
c) It was handed in after the deadline.
d) It repeats ideas everyone has seen.
Show answer
d) It repeats ideas everyone has seen.
2. Which school display would most deserve this description?
a) a mural painted with sand and leaves
b) a poem written as a treasure map
c) a model town built from bottle tops
d) posters copied from last year's display
Show answer
d) posters copied from last year's display
