fantasy 1 of 2

variants also phantasy
Definition of fantasynext
1
2
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others the painter gave free rein to his fantasy to create pictures that capture the kind of reality we experience only in our dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination we were coming to the conclusion that the person Karen "saw" in the woods was another one of her fantasies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fantasy

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fantasy
Noun
The series, based on Canuck animator Myles Langlois’s web series, follows a police officer from Winnipeg who is transported to a sci-fi fantasy world not unlike Eternia. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 Someone who doesn't want to be a hero, has no fantasy of being a hero, and yet finds out that the fate of the world is in his hands. S.c. Stuart, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026 What began as an aspirational fantasy soon transformed into something far larger, the creation of a movement. Elisa Bocanegra, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026 In 2022, Netflix backed Roar Uthaug’s Troll, a big-budget fantasy action film that was a global hit, drawing more than 100 million views worldwide. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
Noun
  • Talking about our dreams for Chicago is a way to connect with people, to fortify our faith in each other and the possibility that Chicago can be closer to complete.
    Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
  • And eventually, this did become a dream.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The radiant Sun conjoins fanciful Neptune in your 7th House of Interdependence, adding extra kindness to your imagination, so boundaries and bonds can both feel easier and more creative.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Stolen jewels can do wonders for the imagination, even if they are tucked away in a safe.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • As the writer of some of Deadwood’s and Lost’s best episodes, creator Liz Sarnoff was exactly the person to make something special of Cornwell’s airport fiction.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Certain passages in the fiction of Jane Bowles read like this.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Easier, maybe, to imagine Blume rejecting the general proposition of an author biography, which seeks to root a subject’s work in their specific experiences, dislodging them from a supposedly neutral or unmarked position.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The last time was so long ago that Nash didn’t have a cell phone or even imagine being on a group chat with 12 teammates 30 years later.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • More surprisingly, the checklist of stunts does lend itself to the film-with-in-the-film’s ever-unfolding, ad hoc script, with the boys wearing a very funny cut-out of Darby’s face to give the illusion of a leading man holding it all together.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Even the most die-hard anti-American cleric in the Iranian political system did not harbor illusions that Iran could defeat the United States in conventional ways.
    Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • September 23 – October 22 When compassion meets creativity, bridges appear.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
  • This is the type of creativity and leadership Chicago needs to bring more energy back to the heart of the city while respecting our tight budget constraints.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Because the Duggars adhere to a fundamentalist fringe of evangelicalism, the liberal media are often quick to use the family’s failings as a cautionary tale about Christianity in general, and conservatives can be too quick to interpret criticism of the family as criticism of the church.
    Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • My 30s were a cautionary tale of bad relationship decisions.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • And the economic importance of LEO, Pringle added, is far more than just the financial boom that venture capitalists are beginning to envision.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Walking through the memorial reminded me that land and buildings often become far more meaningful than the structures originally envisioned.
    Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on fantasy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster