1
as in dreams
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whims
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 likings
positive regard for something
now that he's rich he's taken a fancy to expensive sports cars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in imagines
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 enjoys
to take pleasure in
the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fancies
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Schenn, at 36 years old, is not a legitimate everyday defenseman, certainly not for a team that (rightly) fancies itself a contender.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
While Maluma never called this swanky condo home, the 31-year-old singer and rapper appreciates plenty of other high-end fancies.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2025
At least there were idealists who dreamed such fancies, and their dreams were the pretext for creating this nation.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
And Ripi fancies itself as a disruptor.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Jackson fancies himself an American Sadat, performing the most sensitive, high-profile diplomatic missions for the president but without the accountability of appointive office.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Gronk makes his game prediction Boise State may be coming into Saturday’s game as an underdog by over a touchdown, but Gronkowski fancies the Broncos’ chances.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
Noun
Child actor Jax James has been set in the series regular role of Dougie, Maureen’s only son who is not even ten but acts like a 60-year-old scholar and has no time for childish fancies.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Schenn, at 36 years old, is not a legitimate everyday defenseman, certainly not for a team that (rightly) fancies itself a contender.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
While Maluma never called this swanky condo home, the 31-year-old singer and rapper appreciates plenty of other high-end fancies.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2025
At least there were idealists who dreamed such fancies, and their dreams were the pretext for creating this nation.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Verb
When the dreams start bleeding into real life, Charlie — who fancies himself an amateur detective — convinces his brother and friends to investigate Lorcan’s mysterious origins, a thread that soon unravels an entire secret fantasy world kept under wraps by the elders of the island.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
And Ripi fancies itself as a disruptor.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Jackson fancies himself an American Sadat, performing the most sensitive, high-profile diplomatic missions for the president but without the accountability of appointive office.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Gronk makes his game prediction Boise State may be coming into Saturday’s game as an underdog by over a touchdown, but Gronkowski fancies the Broncos’ chances.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancies
Noun
-
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
And so to watch those guys get drafted, man, and live out a component of their dreams.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The first pitch of a game wouldn’t fall in that category, but Suzuki deferred to his hitter’s whims.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Now is the time for Colorado leaders to push back on this bad decision and fight for a future where disaster declarations are considered on their merits and qualifications, not on the angry whims of one man.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Other Bennet Sister BritBox, May 6 Hadlow’s continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice imagines the fortunes of Mary Bennet, aka the boring (though not entirely ignored) one.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
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Unsettlingly directed by Donald Cammell, this adaptation of Dean Koontz’s 1973 novel of the same name imagines a smart home years before Nest, Ring, Roomba, and other devices become commonplace.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Senior Anglers group enjoys freshwater and saltwater fishing, camping, boating and environmental conservation.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The bill enjoys bipartisan sponsorship and unanimous committee support because the math is straightforward and the need is obvious.—
Jennifer Mahr,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Inspired in part by Gillian Anderson’s compendium of women’s erotic fantasies, Want, as well as Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Superbloom is, in theory, a manifestation of Ware’s deepest desires.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The book, along with the show and 50 artists, really challenges old notions of what textile is.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In fulfilling legislative requirements through notions of public interest, the CRTC employs a wide range of regulatory strategies.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even Luke Skywalker dons a pair of beige Levi’s—transformed from a miner’s uniform into a symbol of rebellious cool by the likes of James Dean—to blend in with the desert sands of Tatooine, a former mining outpost.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The white political elite of the former Confederacy assiduously fought the reforms that liberated African Americans, particularly the right to vote, introducing poll taxes and literacy tests, as well as resorting to terrorism by the likes of the Ku Klux Klan to turn back the clock.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The broader strategy envisions widespread robotic integration across grid operations, with increasing autonomy over the coming years, positioning the sector as a major testbed for large-scale, real-world AI adoption, reports Robo Horizon.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Healthcare Looking to the future, Goldsmith envisions himself as a thought leader in healthcare, a voice pushing for industry improvements.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fancies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancies. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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