fanciful

adjective

fan·​ci·​ful ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 

1

: marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience

a fanciful person

a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods

2

: existing in fancy (see fancy entry 2) only

a fanciful notion

the falsehoods about some fanciful secret treaties

—F. D. Roosevelt

3

: marked by or as if by fancy or whim

gave their children fanciful names

fancifully

ˈfan(t)-si-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

fancifulness

ˈfan(t)-si-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• absurd
• bizarre
• crazy
• fantastic
• fantastical
• foolish
• insane
• nonsensical
• preposterous
• unreal
• wild

Choose the Right Synonym for fanciful

imaginary, fanciful, visionary, fantastic, chimerical, quixotic mean unreal or unbelievable.

imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Examples of fanciful in a Sentence

a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods

They gave all their children fanciful names.

Recent Examples on the Web

Music and style inspire shapes, scents and colors Taylor Swift's music evokes fanciful forms and scents for Jennifer Swenk. —Chloe Veltman, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024

Superheroes have long been depicted wearing capes, which symbolize gallantry and underscore the fanciful nature of the superhero genre. —Greg Hanlon, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024

But this didn’t stop efforts to impose fanciful precise chronologies. —Martin Rees, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024

Rand has had some fanciful forecasting experiments in the past. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Apr. 2024

The culinary riches of the region are celebrated in both the simplest and the most fanciful fare – where mountain huts reside alongside Michelin dining establishments. —Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024

Storrs Hall’s story begins not with the fanciful flying cars of the future but with those of historical record. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

And throughout the garden are little riots of succulents spilling from pots, baskets and even the fanciful nook built into their chimney, dotting the garden with jolts of color like fancy embellishments on a cake. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Heart of Rocks Loop: The most striking pinnacles can be found on this short loop, a mystical stone gallery bristling with fanciful formations like Camel’s Head, Punch and Judy, Thor’s Hammer and Duck on a Rock. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

fancy entry 2 + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fanciful

adjective

fan·​ci·​ful ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 

1

: having or showing free imagination rather than reason

a fanciful person

a fanciful tale

2

: existing in fancy only

a fanciful notion

fancifully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

fancifulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun