Synonyms for

Invent

Verb / ˌɪˈnvent / Another word for invent — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

To create or design something new that has never existed before.

Synonyms & similar words

fabricate excogitate makeup contrive manufacture formulate devise cookup forge create devise conceive contrive innovate originate design formulate develop make produce fabricate construct concoct brew hatch

Synonyms by register

Formal

devise originate formulate conceive

Informal

make up dream up cook up think up

Literary

forge fashion engineer

Antonyms

discover find uncover originate create conceive realize

Common collocations

  • invent a new
  • invent a device
  • invent a story
  • invent a word
  • invent a machine
  • invent a system
  • invent a cure

Word family

noun invention
verb invent
adjective inventive
adverb inventively

Usage note

While 'invent' often implies creating something entirely new, it can also mean to create something false or untrue, often with negative connotations, as in 'to invent an excuse'.

Example sentences

  1. She wanted to invent a new recipe for dinner.
  2. The Wright brothers invented the airplane.
  3. The scientist spent years trying to invent a cure for cancer.
  4. I need to invent a new way to organize my closet.
  5. Steve Jobs helped invent the iPhone.

Quotes

  • The best way to predict the future is to invent it. - Alan Kay
  • Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you. - Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
  • The telephone is a 100-year-old technology. It's time for a change. Charging for phone calls is something you did last century. - Niklas Zennstrom

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