1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
decided they would rather go without dinner than pay the hotel restaurant's fancy prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detailed
made or done with great care or with much detail
we're having a little get-together after the concert—nothing fancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
a writer with a prodigious talent for creating fancies that captivate readers young and old
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
is this a serious interest in music, or just your latest fancy that will be forgotten after a week?
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in liking
positive regard for something
now that he's rich he's taken a fancy to expensive sports cars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
to fans of Lewis Carroll, the animal creations of his fertile fancy are as real as any creature to be found at the zoo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to imagine
to form a mental picture of
try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in
the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fancy
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The white and pink versions of these gloves feel equally fancy.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2026
Brennan Long, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
Faith Salie looks at what travelers think of the Secretary's flight of fancy.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
And there was a smattering of other items, which the visitor, fancying himself an amateur academic archeologist, thought worth noting.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fancy
Adjective
Moana is the slightly fancier of the two, and serves breakfast and dinner.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The white and pink versions of these gloves feel equally fancy.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
If these exact recipes don’t suit your fancy, our magazine’s pages have showcased all kinds of variations over the years.
—Brennan Long, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
Faith Salie looks at what travelers think of the Secretary's flight of fancy.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
After he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, Mason urged Michael to flee to Mexico, but Michael did not fancy himself a draft dodger.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
And there was a smattering of other items, which the visitor, fancying himself an amateur academic archeologist, thought worth noting.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancy
Adjective
-
Commissioners dismissed the allegations related to donor information but found that Ellis had accepted excessive contributions.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The restrictions, known as a consent decree, were a result of a 2017 lawsuit over excessive use of solitary confinement and pepper spray on inmates.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pearson knew about Debe's hair appointment and gave detectives a detailed description of many items inside her car.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The best way to deal with this is to be as detailed and lengthy as needed.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sadly, his college ball dreams didn’t come to fruition after the coach who called him up retired.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Over the past seven years, Blake Lively brought her dream hair care line to life by redefining the beauty industry with a blend of passion, precision and purpose.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But it may also be remembered as the moment where Europe broke away from the United States, exasperated by a world run solely by hard American power at the whims of an ever imperial presidency.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the state is seeing the fallout from the Legislature’s prior indulgence of the governor’s political whims.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But the job of the Federal Reserve‘s seven-member Board of Governors is not to pump the economy to any president’s liking.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
-
These joggers, made of polyester, rayon, and spandex, also feature a drawstring waistband to adjust to your liking.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For their part, many voters always seem to be searching for some idealized candidate who exists only in their imagination.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bagehot and other upholders of depoliticizing enchantments could not have imagined a scenario in which Andrew, once second in line for the throne, and Larry Summers, a former Ivy League president hailed as one of America’s leading public intellectuals, are caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His teammates and coaches enjoyed it even more in Washington.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Get your own bowl and enjoy all the greasy goodness for yourself.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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