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 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
The cowboy style became more fanciful through the 1940s in the hands of Jewish immigrant tailors such as Rodeo Ben in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Nathan Turk and Nudie Cohn in Hollywood, California.
—
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025
Dressing To Impress Like the fanciful hats at the Kentucky Derby, there’s an unspoken dress code for patrons attending the tournament.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2025
In the early 1920s, tens of thousands of people across the United States, many of whom had never set foot in Florida, made down payments on unbuilt lots in the Sunshine State, lured in by fanciful brochures and fast-talking salespeople.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Its cream background is overlaid with fanciful doodles of oranges, farfalle pasta, wine, playing cards, and other feel-good finds that emphasize the beauty found in the ordinary.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025
Dressing To Impress Like the fanciful hats at the Kentucky Derby, there’s an unspoken dress code for patrons attending the tournament.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2025
In the early 1920s, tens of thousands of people across the United States, many of whom had never set foot in Florida, made down payments on unbuilt lots in the Sunshine State, lured in by fanciful brochures and fast-talking salespeople.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Its cream background is overlaid with fanciful doodles of oranges, farfalle pasta, wine, playing cards, and other feel-good finds that emphasize the beauty found in the ordinary.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
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Sinner won a bizarre semifinal in his first tournament back from a three-month doping ban, while Alcaraz triumphed in a sloppy duel.—
Sam Settleman,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
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Known for its deluge of gruesome deaths that just get more bizarre with each iteration, Final Destination is now returning for a sixth movie.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The biggest change, however, has been in fly ball frequency - his fly ball rate is now an absurd 50.0%, higher than any 2024 MLB regular.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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What else can be said about Judge’s absurd start to this season?—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The two stars of the Emmy-winning 1990s romantic comedy series Northern Exposure, set in the zany fictitious town of Cicely, Alaska, are adding their names to the avalanche of television stars binging their old shows, offering commentary about the storylines and sharing behind-the-scenes tales.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
6 May 2025
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Later on, Weekend Update featured a trio of guest appearances from Bowen Yang who resurrected his recurring Chinese trade minister Chen Biao, Emil Wakim and his notes on American patriotism and Sarah Sherman as Jost’s fictitious accountant Dawn Altman.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the Liberals are an electoral machine—something of a rarity on the center-left—that would be foolish to bet against.—
Daniel Block,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
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His cigars weren’t as nasty as his habit of chasing bad money with worse—high living and foolish investments, with second-rate writing meant to plug the gap.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The imaginary elements of the story — the witches, and the university — stem from growing up with my father, and reading novels by Julio Verne and Emilio Salgari.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2025
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New York is a realm of fantasy and myth, obsession and resentment, fear and bewilderment for many who’ve never set foot in it; and many who live here also purvey and perpetuate some version of the imaginary city.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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The green obsidian was also thought to have a symbolic connection to Tollan, a mythical city where the god Quetzalcoatl lived, which was believed to be the ancestral origin of Mexico’s civilizations.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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Helios, the Greek god of the sun, and Luna, the mythical goddess of the moon, stand guard at either end of Celestial Park.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Meeting your life-long love as a child at church may seem unreal.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
28 Apr. 2025
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Spectators and commentators alike were taken aback as the incident unfolded due to the unreal farmer's tan of Phillips.—
Mark Weinstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ready to swap the real-world drama for a fictional web of secrets and lies?—
Andrea Bartz,
People.com,
18 May 2025
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The kind now best distilled into a fictional massacre in a galaxy far, far away.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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