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

• bizarre
• absurd
• foolish
• fantastical
• unreal
• insane

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

Inspired by the fanciful style of Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell, in Barcelona; Saint Phalle worked with a team of collaborators that included her husband, Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, on 22 large-scale concrete sculptures, each representing a mystical figure from the tarot deck. —Kin Woo, Vogue, 30 June 2025

While the current conflict may lead us to think such cooperation is fanciful, who could have thought that the U.S. and Japan would be G7 allies after a nuclear bombing within a generation? —Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Attempts by modern writers to cast the Adams Hotel as a bordello are fanciful. —Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 June 2025

Lace gives a short-sleeve set an utterly romantic feel, while a feather trim offers a fanciful touch to long-sleeve and pants coordinates. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 23 June 2025

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