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 & Antonyms 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

While Mrs May at last faces up to the painful trade-offs that Brexit always required, those who condemned her this week prefer to indulge their fantasies. — The Economist, "A new Brexit plan creates fresh depths of chaos," 12 July 2018 To cope, the singer escapes to her fantasies of lassoing her bosses and telling off her other self-serving office mates at the coolest country disco this side of Urban Cowboy. — Alessandra Rincón, Billboard, "Kacey Musgraves Leaves it All on the Dancefloor in Sassy Disco Country 'High Horse' Video: Watch," 12 July 2018 Here are five places to fulfill your unicorn fantasies: Luci's at the Orchard The cute cafe in a picturesque setting is the perfect spot to get photos of the new Unicorn Milkshake, now on the permanent menu. — Kellie Hwang, azcentral, "6 places for over-the-top, Instagram-worthy unicorn treats in Phoenix," 11 July 2018 Men were more likely than women to focus on a specific person in their fantasies. — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, "New Research Delves Into Sexual Fantasies," 25 June 2018 In short, Stephenson always seems to be at the forefront of new science and technology, at times stretching into the realms of fantasy, but more often pushing real tech to a near-future world of possibility. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "How Neal Stephenson Got Book Ideas by Moonlighting at Blue Origin," 19 June 2018 Wanda says: John's ex was his fantasy, and Mark is yours. — Anchorage Daily News, "Should I pick the ex who dumped me but had a change of heart – or the whirlwind romance guy who’s long distance?," 17 June 2018 If your fantasies are five-star fancy, agritourism probably isn’t for you. — Lindsay Cohn, USA TODAY, "Agriturismo, American style: 8 farm and food experiences in the USA," 15 June 2018 Abduction, torture and murder – prosecutors argued that was their fantasy. — CBS News, "The search for a missing military wife takes NCIS agents into a dark world," 5 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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Dictionary Entries near fantasy

Phrases Related to fantasy

beyond one's wildest dreams/fantasies

flight of fancy/imagination/fantasy

live in a fantasy world

Statistics for fantasy

Last Updated

17 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

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