1
as in bizarre
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
she harbors the fanciful notion that she has a talent for singing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mythic
not real and existing only in the imagination
the fanciful creatures that J.R.R. Tolkien created for his Middle Earth novels
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Recent Examples of fanciful
Absent Huawei this might be fanciful, but China’s leading technology company already has an Android alternative.
—
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Kitchen veteran Liliane is often the tart-yet-affectionate voice of reason when Antonin gets a little too fanciful for his culinary britches.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
First, both threats are fanciful to the point of serving as performance art.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Leading up to the 2026 election, the Massachusetts Democratic Party must have a rigorous debate on the direction of our party, our Commonwealth and our country, rather than a fanciful debate on issues better suited for an academic environment.
—Scott W. Lang, Boston Herald, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Kitchen veteran Liliane is often the tart-yet-affectionate voice of reason when Antonin gets a little too fanciful for his culinary britches.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
First, both threats are fanciful to the point of serving as performance art.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Leading up to the 2026 election, the Massachusetts Democratic Party must have a rigorous debate on the direction of our party, our Commonwealth and our country, rather than a fanciful debate on issues better suited for an academic environment.
—Scott W. Lang, Boston Herald, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
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This bizarre tale about being picked up by bounty hunters, taken to an unmarked warehouse without access to food, water or an attorney were clearly fabricated.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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Alicia Hannah-Kim is breaking her silence after a bizarre incident with Cobra Kai costar Martin Kove earlier this month resulted in him being removed from a fan event for biting her.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Rich and influential adults enjoyed Lear’s company, but Lear himself preferred making mischief for children, telling absurd stories and drawing impossible creatures.—
Caroline Carlson
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
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Traditionally, a show truck of this caliber would be fitted with an absurd array of chrome lightbars, air horns and blingy accessories but that would be counterintuitive to the vehicle’s mission.—
Trinity Francis,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Although it was portrayed as the fictitious Amity island in the film, many of the location sites are still favorite destinations with travelers — less so for the traffic and tourist-averse year-round islanders.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
27 June 2025
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Instead, the two lawyers achieved notoriety in 2023 when the judge in the case fined the pair $5,000 for citing six fictitious cases, invented by artificial intelligence software, in a brief to the court.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Making a prediction for Game 7 is obviously foolish.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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This seems foolish since the U.S. has some 25-30% of the world’s coal, which is even more than China.—
Jude Clemente,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Some will retreat from public life, spurning those closest to them in favor of an imaginary narrative woven with these programs.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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Since its inception, astronomers had busied themselves tracking the apparent movements of the stars, moon and planets relative to an imaginary line running north to south through the observatory, known as a 'meridian'.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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And his government constructed a temple to Ram on the site of a former mosque in Ayodhya, the mythical birthplace of the eponymous hero of a Hindu epic.—
HARTOSH SINGH BAL,
Foreign Affairs,
30 June 2025
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Ozark Bathhouse, adorned with facade planters bearing pairs of mythical flying creatures, sometimes functions as a cultural center that hosts exhibits of arts and crafts.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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In a sit-down interview, Goldberg said the amount of disrespect Gunther had for Goldberg was unreal.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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And, if Mateer and Ott are as-advertised, this could be an unreal year for the Sooners.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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The Hollywood Reporter can reveal that, under the multiyear deal, IMG Licensing will develop and manage a robust licensing program spanning Maas’s entire fictional universe with the aim of creating new touchpoints for her fervid fan base.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
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The fictional town of Havenport was filmed in Wilmington, NC, and nearby Southport, NC.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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