fancy

1 of 3

verb

fan·​cy ˈfan(t)-sē How to pronounce fancy (audio)
fancied; fancying

transitive verb

1
: to have a fancy (see fancy entry 2 sense 1) for : like
He's all right, I suppose, but I can't say that I fancy him.
2
: to form a conception of : imagine
fancy our embarrassment
Just fancy my surprise when I heard that he was getting married.
3
a
: to believe mistakenly or without evidence
b
: to believe without being certain
she fancied she had met him before
real or fancied wrongs
4
: to visualize or interpret as
fancied myself a child again

fancy

2 of 3

noun

plural fancies
1
a
: a liking formed by caprice rather than reason : inclination
took a fancy to the mutt
b
: amorous fondness : love
She took a fancy to the young man.
2
a
b
: an image or representation of something formed in the mind
3
archaic : fantastic quality or state
4
a
: imagination especially of a capricious or delusive sort
His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy.
b
: the power of conception and representation used in artistic expression (as by a poet)
5
: taste, judgment
a person of delicate fancy
6
a
: devotees of some particular art, practice, or amusement
b
: the object of interest of such a fancy
especially : boxing entry 1

fancy

3 of 3

adjective

fancier; fanciest
1
: dependent or based on fancy : whimsical
2
a(1)
: not plain : ornamental
a fancy hairdo
(2)
: swank sense 2, posh
a fancy restaurant
b(1)
: of particular excellence or highest grade
fancy tuna
(2)
: impressive
posted some fancy numbers
c
of an animal or plant : bred especially for bizarre or ornamental qualities that lack practical utility
3
: based on conceptions of the fancy
fancy sketches
4
a
: dealing in fancy goods
b
: extravagant
paying fancy prices
5
: executed with technical skill and style
fancy footwork
fancy diving
6
: parti-color
fancy carnations
fancily adverb
fanciness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for fancy

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of.

think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

Examples of fancy in a Sentence

Verb Which horse do you fancy in the Derby? try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India Noun His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy. Critics have dismissed his plan as mere fancy. Adjective He drives a big, fancy car. we're having a little get-together after the concert—nothing fancy
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Americans, particularly liberal ones, may fancy themselves as tolerant enough to avoid acting on ethnic biases. Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2024 Both teams have a point to prove and will fancy their chances of taking points from this one. Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
Noun
Fast forward to now, and retailers like Mango, Kitri, Zara and Massimo Dutti have followed suit with plenty of pieces in the shade to take your autumn fancy. Ebony-Renee Baker, refinery29.com, 12 Sep. 2024 If one of those trails doesn’t catch your fancy, there are plenty more. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2024
Adjective
For instance, a person may expect an expensive bottle of wine with a fancy French label to be better than a cheap, generic-looking one. Claire Therese Hemingway, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2024 Cruise concluded his introduction by sharing his personal excitement about watching the movie under such fancy, pristine conditions. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fancy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English fantasien, fantesien, fancyen "to plan, devise, create, form (an idea), imagine (something false), desire," in part derivative of fantasie, fantsy, fansey fancy entry 2, in part borrowed from Middle French fantasier "to imagine, invent," verbal derivative of fantasie fantasy entry 1

Noun

Middle English fantasie, fantsy, fansey "the imagination as a faculty, mental image produced by this faculty, deluded notion, figment of the imagination, preference directed by caprice rather than reason, liking" — more at fantasy entry 1

Note: The disyllabic form, a rare variant of fantasie fantasy entry 1 in Middle English, became more common and began to separate in sense from fantasie/fantasy in early Modern English.

Adjective

from attributive use of fancy entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fancy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fancy

Cite this Entry

“Fancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fancy. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

fancy

1 of 3 verb
fancied; fancying
1
: to have a fancy for : like
2
: to form a mental image of : imagine

fancy

2 of 3 noun
fan·​cy
ˈfan(t)-sē
plural fancies
1
: liking
took a fancy to the stray dog
2
: notion, whim
a passing fancy
3

fancy

3 of 3 adjective
fancier; fanciest
1
: based on fancy : unpredictable
2
a
: not plain : ornamental
b
: of particular excellence
c
: bred especially for a showy appearance
a fancy goldfish
3
: done with great skill and grace
fancy footwork
fancily adverb
fanciness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fancy

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