fantasy

noun

fan·ta·sy | \ ˈfan-tə-sē,

-zē\

variants: or less commonly phantasy

plural fantasies

Definition of fantasy

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 obsolete : hallucination

2 : fancy especially : the free play of creative imagination

3 : a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived: such as

a : a fanciful design or invention a fantasy of delicate tracery

b : a chimerical or fantastic notion His plans are pure fantasy.

c : fantasia sense 1 the organ fantasy of Johannes Brahms

d : imaginative fiction featuring especially strange settings and grotesque characters spent the summer reading fantasy

— called also fantasy fiction

4 : caprice served to fulfill the king's fantasies

5 : the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need an object of fantasy also : a mental image or a series of mental images (such as a daydream) so created sexual fantasies

6 often attributive : a coin usually not intended for circulation as currency and often issued by a dubious authority (such as a government-in-exile)

fantasy

verb

fantasied; fantasying

Definition of fantasy (Entry 2 of 3)

: fantasize

fantasy

adjective

Definition of fantasy (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or being a game in which participants create and manage imaginary teams consisting of players from a particular sport and scoring is based on the statistical performances of the actual players fantasy football

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fantasy

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Examples of fantasy in a Sentence

Noun

His plans are pure fantasy. He can hardly tell the difference between fantasy and reality. His plans are just fantasies. Her fantasy is to be a film star. His plans are the product of pure fantasy. I spent my summer reading fantasies.

Verb

she regularly fantasies sexual encounters that she knows will never happen

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This horror fantasy is a collection of scenes set in a high-rise community in China in an imaginary near future. — Peter Saenger, WSJ, "Inspired by Zombies," 21 Dec. 2018 During the golden age of Hollywood, fully realized fantasy was practically a prerequisite to dazzle on the big screen. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "The Best Old Hollywood Movies to Inspire a Legendary Holiday Beauty Look," 15 Dec. 2018 Or pay a visit to his Faena hotel nearby, a red-curtain fantasy of life that is a distillation of pure joy, with exquisite details. — Alejandro Jodorowsky, ELLE Decor, "A Conversation Between Hotelier Alan Faena and Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky," 14 Nov. 2018 Lisbeth is smart enough and violent enough to make abusers pay; the revenge fantasy is part of the series’ core appeal. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Lisbeth Salander returns in the limp, faux-feminist The Girl in the Spider’s Web," 9 Nov. 2018 But the reality is that the fantasy on offer has been largely monolithic: usually white, often thin, and nearly always straight. — Mickalene Thomas, Harper's BAZAAR, "Artist Mickalene Thomas Opens Up About the Importance of Diverse Bodies In Her Work," 3 Oct. 2018 Sometimes fantasy can be better than the real thing. — Georgia Clark, Marie Claire, "8 Surprising Lessons I Learned From a Sex Party," 12 Sep. 2018 Eventually, though, the future proved to be so far away that the fantasy withered, and VR took its place alongside Pogs and gratuitously transparent beverages as a craze that was doomed never to see the next millennium. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "VR Is Back in Pop Culture—As a Warning," 29 June 2018 The fantasy of an omnipotent leader is perpetually popular in democracies, because democratic politics is all about compromise and incrementalism. — Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, "Bill Clinton’s Novel Isn't a Thriller—It's a Fantasy," 16 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Who can fantasy owners find to take Hoskins' place? — Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, "Fantasy baseball chat with Brent Hershey: Thursday at noon ET," 30 May 2018 From fantasy hot commodity to fantasy goat in the span of a week, Henry did not see much time on the field, rushing just six times for 7 yards vs. the stout Texans defense. — Tony Holm, USA TODAY, "Fantasy sizzlers and fizzlers: Deshaun Watson does it all," 2 Oct. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Of the group, Verdugo and Pederson probably offer the most fantasy appeal, since Hernandez is a .207/.264/.333 career hitter against right-handed pitching. — Brian Rudd, USA TODAY, "Injuries give young players opportunity," 9 May 2018 And if there’s anything fantasy baseball owners don’t like, it’s uncertainty. — Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, "Fantasy baseball: Spring training brings uncertainty for owners," 6 Mar. 2018 And that brings us to Kelce’s biggest fantasy nemesis: Alex Smith. — John Paulsen, SI.com, "After Rob Gronkowski, Should I Draft Travis Kelce or Jordan Reed in Fantasy Football?," 19 Aug. 2017 The rankings reflect overall fantasy value in a standard 12-team, point-per-reception (PPR) league. — Usa Today Sports, The Courier-Journal, "Fantasy football rankings: Top 200 for 2017," 31 July 2017 According to Mr. Adams, the agents questioned him about the nature of his addiction and how fantasy sports ads had affected him. — Walt Bogdanich, James Glanz And Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, "Fantasy Sites Are Dealt New Rebuff by Citigroup," 5 Feb. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fantasy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for fantasy

The first known use of fantasy was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for fantasy

fantasy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fantasy

: something that is produced by the imagination : an idea about doing something that is far removed from normal reality

: the act of imagining something

: a book, movie, etc., that tells a story about things that happen in an imaginary world

See the full definition for fantasy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fantasy

noun

fan·ta·sy | \ ˈfan-tə-sē, -zē\

plural fantasies

Kids Definition of fantasy

1 : imagination sense 1 The plan was a product of pure fantasy.

2 : something produced by the imagination His fantasy is to win a million dollars.

fantasy

noun

fan·ta·sy

variants: also phantasy \ ˈfant-ə-sē ,

-zē

plural fantasies

Medical Definition of fantasy

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need an object of fantasy also : a mental image or a series of mental images (as a daydream) so created sexual fantasies of adolescence