Conjure up
phrasal verb third person singular: conjures up | past tense: conjured up | past participle: conjured up | present participle: conjuring up
Definition
1. To bring a memory, image, or feeling into the mind.
2. To create or produce something, especially unexpectedly or from limited resources.
3. To summon spirits or make something appear through magic.
2. To create or produce something, especially unexpectedly or from limited resources.
3. To summon spirits or make something appear through magic.
Context Alive
She hadn’t thought about her childhood home in decades, but when she opened the dusty box of old photographs, everything came flooding back. There was the yellow kitchen, the cracked swing set, her father’s old truck parked in the driveway. Each image seemed to conjure up emotions she thought she had forgotten — the safety of her mother’s hugs, the excitement of summer mornings, and a bittersweet longing for a time that could never return.
Meanings
5 meanings 1 To bring memories, images, or feelings to mind (Phrasal Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is by far the most common way you’ll hear this phrasal verb used. When something conjures up a memory or feeling, it makes you suddenly think of it or experience it vividly. Think about walking past a bakery and catching a smell that instantly conjures up memories of holiday mornings at your grandparents’ house, filling you with warmth and nostalgia. Or imagine someone mentioning the name of your old neighborhood, and suddenly that simple word conjures up images of the streets you played on, the friends you had, and the person you used to be. The phrase suggests something appearing in your mind almost involuntarily, triggered by a sense, a word, or an experience.
Vivid ExampleThe old jazz record conjured up memories of her parents dancing in the living room, their laughter filling the house on Sunday afternoons when life felt simpler and time moved slower.
2 To create or produce something impressively (Phrasal Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
When someone conjures up something, they create it skillfully, often quickly or from very little. Picture a host who discovers unexpected guests at the door and somehow conjures up enough food for everyone, raiding the pantry and refrigerator to produce a meal that seems impossible given what was available. Or think about a writer facing a deadline who conjures up a brilliant story idea at the last minute, turning panic into creativity and delivering something better than anyone expected. The phrase captures that magical feeling when something wonderful appears from almost nothing.
Vivid ExampleDespite having almost no ingredients left, she conjured up a delicious pasta dish that her roommates devoured in minutes, begging to know her secret for making something so tasty from an empty kitchen.
3 To create a mental picture or impression (Phrasal Verb) — COMMON Common ▼
Writers, speakers, and artists use words or images that conjure up specific pictures in people’s minds. This is about deliberately creating an impression or atmosphere. Imagine reading a novel where the author’s descriptions conjure up such vivid images of a rainy London street that you can almost feel the cold and hear the carriages passing. Or think about how the word “paradise” instantly conjures up images of tropical beaches, palm trees, and crystal-clear water for most people, even if they’ve never been to such a place. The phrase emphasizes the power of language and art to create mental experiences.
Vivid ExampleThe poet’s words conjured up a haunting image of an abandoned village at sunset, so vivid that readers could almost hear the wind whistling through empty doorways and see shadows lengthening across deserted streets.
4 To invent something quickly, especially an excuse or explanation (Phrasal Verb) — COMMON Common ▼
Sometimes people conjure up excuses, stories, or explanations on the spot when they’re in trouble or need to think fast. You know when a friend asks why you didn’t reply to their message and you quickly conjure up an excuse about your phone dying, even though you simply forgot? That’s this meaning in action. Or imagine a child caught with chocolate on their face who desperately tries to conjure up an explanation for the missing cookies, inventing wild stories about mysterious intruders or hungry pets. The phrase often suggests creativity born from pressure or panic.
Vivid ExampleWhen asked why he missed the meeting, he quickly conjured up a story about traffic accidents and closed roads, hoping nobody would check that his route had been perfectly clear all morning.
5 To summon spirits or supernatural beings (Phrasal Verb) — LESS COMMON Common ▼
In magical, supernatural, or fantasy contexts, conjure up means to summon ghosts, demons, or other beings through spells or rituals. Picture a scene in a horror movie where teenagers foolishly try to conjure up the spirit of someone who died in their house, not realizing the danger they’re inviting. Or think about fantasy stories where wizards conjure up creatures to do their bidding, speaking ancient words that bring beings from other realms into existence. This meaning connects to the oldest sense of the word, rooted in magic and the supernatural.
Vivid ExampleThe old book warned that the ritual could conjure up spirits that would be impossible to control, but the curious teenagers ignored the danger and lit the candles anyway, regretting their decision within minutes.
Examples from the Street
“That song conjures up so many memories.”
That tune brings back so many recollections from the past
“She somehow conjured up a three-course meal in thirty minutes.”
She magically produced an impressive dinner in half an hour
“When I think of Italy, it conjures up images of pasta, wine, and sunshine.”
When I picture that country, it brings to mind food, drink, and warm weather
Common Patterns
conjure up memories (of) → bring recollections to mind
conjure up images (of) → create mental pictures
conjure up a picture/vision (of) → evoke a mental image
conjure up feelings/emotions → trigger or evoke feelings
conjure up the past → bring back thoughts of earlier times
something conjures up something → a thing evokes associations
conjure up a meal/solution/excuse → produce something as if by magic
conjure up from nothing/nowhere → create from very limited resources
somehow/magically conjure up → manage to produce unexpectedly
conjure up the energy/enthusiasm → find or summon inner resources
can’t just conjure up → unable to magically produce on demand
Collocations
3 collocationsconjure up a meal
quickly prepare food from whatever is available
conjure up an image
create a mental picture
conjure up the past
bring old memories back vividly
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The smell of freshly cut grass conjures up memories of childhood summers
The scent of newly trimmed lawn brings back recollections of warm holidays as a young child.
2
His music conjures up images of vast, open landscapes
His compositions create mental pictures of wide, empty stretches of natural scenery.
3
The author’s words conjure up a vivid picture of wartime Britain
The writer’s language creates a clear mental image of the country during the conflict years.
4
Old photographs always conjure up feelings of nostalgia
Vintage pictures consistently trigger emotions of longing for the past.
5
The documentary conjured up the past in a way I’d never experienced before
The film brought back earlier times in a manner I’d never encountered previously.
6
She conjured up a delicious meal from the few leftovers in the fridge
She magically produced a tasty dinner using only the remaining scraps from the refrigerator.
7
I don’t know how he conjured up an excuse so quickly — it was almost impressive
I’ve no idea how he invented a reason so fast — it was nearly admirable.
8
I couldn’t conjure up the energy to go to the gym after such a long day
I wasn’t able to summon the motivation to exercise after so many hours of work.
9
You can’t just conjure up a qualified candidate — recruitment takes time
You can’t simply make a suitable applicant appear from nowhere — hiring requires patience.
10
For me, the word “home” conjures up warmth, safety, and family
For me, that term evokes thoughts of comfort, security, and loved ones.
Learner Examples
★
Hearing a foreign language you’re learning conjures up all the hard work and progress you’ve made
Listening to a tongue you’re studying brings to mind all the effort and advancement you’ve achieved.
★
A good vocabulary lesson should conjure up images that help students remember the words naturally
An effective word-teaching session should create mental pictures that assist learners in recalling the terms without effort.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsimagine
creating a mental picture
picture
visualising in your mind
bring to mind
triggering a memory
dream up
inventing from imagination
Antonymsforget
losing the image from your mind
dismiss
pushing thoughts away