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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2
as in imaginary
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
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.
—
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Of course, there’s one big difference between Loftus’s memory of the house fire and Deutsch’s fanciful scaling of Lincoln’s nose.
—Tim Requarth, Longreads, 9 Apr. 2026
Against all odds, the man who made such fanciful-sounding claims managed to spark a legitimate corporate drama at the highest levels of Hollywood.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
April Fools' Day was a thing back then, too — and of course, other fanciful stories that might have gotten Chicagoans riled up have turned up since.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Of course, there’s one big difference between Loftus’s memory of the house fire and Deutsch’s fanciful scaling of Lincoln’s nose.
—Tim Requarth, Longreads, 9 Apr. 2026
Against all odds, the man who made such fanciful-sounding claims managed to spark a legitimate corporate drama at the highest levels of Hollywood.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
April Fools' Day was a thing back then, too — and of course, other fanciful stories that might have gotten Chicagoans riled up have turned up since.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
-
Upset over a bizarre technical foul in Game 2, Booker unloaded on the refs, particularly James Williams.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The New York Giants had a completely bizarre draft on Thursday – one that even left star wide receiver Malik Nabers visibly frustrated during his own simulcast with Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons.—
Ryan Gaydos OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As usual, human progress gets the sublimely absurd Herzogian treatment, with modern and primordial sights and sounds becoming whole.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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But the idea of using one for multiple hours every day, or of trying to socialize in real life while the people around me try to meet my digital avatar’s dead eyes, is absurd.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The moment that lingered came later, when the (sadly fictitious) films of William Harbeck brought me out onto the open deck at dusk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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In those previous incidents, charges were either not pursued by the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, or were dismissed during the criminal proceedings in a handful of cases involving assault, disorderly conduct, drug possession, and possession of a fictitious identification card.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Until recently, history has largely recognized this foolish law as a New Deal mistake.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Little purple blossoms appearing on my lawn mean my jacaranda tree will soon be in bloom, leaving its sticky remnants all over the sidewalk, lawn and anyone foolish enough to park underneath it.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Apex, which primarily consists of its two main characters chasing each other around the fictional Wandarra National Park on location in the real Australian Blue Mountains, is more focused in action than in psychological nuance.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sadiq is an unreal athlete, and will instantly become an irreplaceable piece of New York’s offense.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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These structures look unreal in two dimensions, as if they were made mostly of air.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But this year’s report, published Wednesday, has the Queen City of the East – home of horror author Stephen King and the mythical birthplace of lumberjack Paul Bunyan – standing alone.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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What could be more human than to weave a mythic narrative of self and clan around what is remembered, and the slippages of what might have been?—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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