imprison
imprisons
imprisoning
imprisoned
Imprison means to put or keep in prison. Regular verb: imprison-imprisoned-imprisoned.
Meanings
- To put in prison
- To confine or restrain
- To keep captive
Common Collocations
imprison for life
wrongly imprisoned
imprison without trial
imprisoned for crimes
Tip for Learners
Imprison is formal for jail. "He was imprisoned for ten years."
Present Simple
| I | imprison |
| you | imprison |
| he/she/it | imprisons |
| we | imprison |
| they | imprison |
Examples - Present Simple
- I imprison negative thoughts to maintain positivity.
- You imprison yourself with unnecessary fears.
- The government imprisons criminals according to law.
- We imprison our creativity when we fear failure.
- They imprison those who break the rules.
Present Continuous
| I | am imprisoning |
| you | are imprisoning |
| he/she/it | is imprisoning |
| we | are imprisoning |
| they | are imprisoning |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am imprisoning my doubts to move forward.
- You are imprisoning yourself in outdated beliefs.
- The regime is imprisoning political dissidents.
- We are imprisoning ourselves with overwork.
- They are imprisoning innocent people without trial.
Present Perfect
| I | have imprisoned |
| you | have imprisoned |
| he/she/it | has imprisoned |
| we | have imprisoned |
| they | have imprisoned |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have imprisoned my fears and conquered them.
- You have imprisoned yourself in a dead-end job.
- The state has imprisoned thousands over the decades.
- We have imprisoned our emotions for too long.
- They have imprisoned several suspects this month.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been imprisoning |
| you | have been imprisoning |
| he/she/it | has been imprisoning |
| we | have been imprisoning |
| they | have been imprisoning |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been imprisoning negative emotions for years.
- You have been imprisoning yourself with self-doubt.
- The country has been imprisoning activists for decades.
- We have been imprisoning ourselves in routine.
- They have been imprisoning people without due process.
Past Simple
| I | imprisoned |
| you | imprisoned |
| he/she/it | imprisoned |
| we | imprisoned |
| they | imprisoned |
Examples - Past Simple
- I imprisoned my anxieties through meditation.
- You imprisoned yourself in isolation last year.
- The court imprisoned him for five years.
- We imprisoned our memories in photographs.
- They imprisoned the leader of the rebellion.
Past Continuous
| I | was imprisoning |
| you | were imprisoning |
| he/she/it | was imprisoning |
| we | were imprisoning |
| they | were imprisoning |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was imprisoning my feelings instead of expressing them.
- You were imprisoning yourself in unrealistic expectations.
- The authorities were imprisoning protesters during the unrest.
- We were imprisoning ourselves in a toxic environment.
- They were imprisoning people without evidence.
Past Perfect
| I | had imprisoned |
| you | had imprisoned |
| he/she/it | had imprisoned |
| we | had imprisoned |
| they | had imprisoned |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had imprisoned my dreams before I realized their value.
- You had imprisoned yourself before seeking help.
- The regime had imprisoned him twice before his exile.
- We had imprisoned our ambitions in fear of failure.
- They had imprisoned the revolutionary for years.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been imprisoning |
| you | had been imprisoning |
| he/she/it | had been imprisoning |
| we | had been imprisoning |
| they | had been imprisoning |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been imprisoning my creativity for too long.
- You had been imprisoning yourself in guilt.
- The dictatorship had been imprisoning opponents for decades.
- We had been imprisoning ourselves in comfort zones.
- They had been imprisoning civilians unlawfully.
Future Simple
| I | will imprison |
| you | will imprison |
| he/she/it | will imprison |
| we | will imprison |
| they | will imprison |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will imprison negativity and focus on growth.
- You will imprison yourself if you don't take risks.
- The judge will imprison the convicted criminal.
- We will imprison our fears and pursue our goals.
- They will imprison anyone who violates the law.
Future Continuous
| I | will be imprisoning |
| you | will be imprisoning |
| he/she/it | will be imprisoning |
| we | will be imprisoning |
| they | will be imprisoning |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be imprisoning my self-doubt starting today.
- You will be imprisoning yourself if you continue this path.
- The authorities will be imprisoning offenders this week.
- We will be imprisoning negativity in our mindset work.
- They will be imprisoning the suspects after the trial.
Future Perfect
| I | will have imprisoned |
| you | will have imprisoned |
| he/she/it | will have imprisoned |
| we | will have imprisoned |
| they | will have imprisoned |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have imprisoned all negative thoughts by then.
- You will have imprisoned yourself completely if you don't change.
- The system will have imprisoned thousands by decade's end.
- We will have imprisoned our limitations through growth.
- They will have imprisoned all the conspirators.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been imprisoning |
| you | will have been imprisoning |
| he/she/it | will have been imprisoning |
| we | will have been imprisoning |
| they | will have been imprisoning |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been imprisoning doubts for years by then.
- You will have been imprisoning yourself for too long.
- The state will have been imprisoning dissidents for a century.
- We will have been imprisoning fear throughout our journey.
- They will have been imprisoning people unjustly for decades.