Definition of fancifulnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fanciful contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fanciful are chimerical, fantastic, imaginary, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

How does the word chimerical relate to other synonyms for fanciful?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When could fantastic be used to replace fanciful?

The meanings of fantastic and fanciful largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than fanciful?

The synonyms imaginary and fanciful are sometimes interchangeable, but imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

Where would quixotic be a reasonable alternative to fanciful?

The words quixotic and fanciful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

In what contexts can visionary take the place of fanciful?

The words visionary and fanciful can be used in similar contexts, but visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fanciful And that isn’t a fanciful price — tickets for the final have listed for far higher. Stefan Szymanski, The Conversation, 10 June 2026 For a nostalgia-stirring vacation with friends, Sarasota—a fanciful town on Florida’s scenic Suncoast—has easy appeal for everyone. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 6 June 2026 The idea that enterprise companies across the globe would risk their data by attempting to stand up their own cybersecurity solutions by leveraging an AI model is, indeed, proving fanciful. Zev Fima, CNBC, 4 June 2026 The fourth becomes a sophisticated lesson in arpeggios and the last, a fanciful passacaglia. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
  • In a bizarre scene at the ceremony, his troops stood at attention as Ríos addressed them in a live video feed from a Bogotá prison.
    John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
  • This has produced a toxic and bizarre backlash.
    Tom Deignan, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Adjective
  • In an age of visual and underground detection, why am I delayed at a traffic signal waiting for an imaginary vehicle to enter the intersection?
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026
  • And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • Blending historical facts and patriotic myths, the works offer a vibrant, playful and sometimes absurd look at events like the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Washington crossing the Delaware.
    Joe Yogerst, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • As tensions rise and panic sets in, the sisters are forced into a painful and increasingly absurd fight for survival before the homeowner returns.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • The book traces the fictitious Yeoman family’s evolution over generations from self-sufficient homesteaders to participants in global markets.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 June 2026
  • Hosting its usual presentation at its headquarters, located a stone’s throw from San Babila square, the brand installed video walls that broadcast a fictitious runway show created with the help of AI.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • For one, the corporation made major investments in WeWork, a coworking space startup that imploded in spectacular fashion in 2019, leaving the possibility that his all-in on AI could come to look foolish as well.
    Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 June 2026
  • Some thought the move was foolish.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • While the heroine in this novel is fictional, readers will be drawn to this mystery set during WWII about codebreaking, and a Nazi threat on American soil.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2026
  • Cue a whole host of dodgy deals and shady string-pulling, not to mention an extramarital affair, as the entirely fictional — but no doubt true to life — character abandons any sense of morality.
    Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • But the Miz buzz is a real next level, in part because of his age and unreal hot cheese.
    Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 June 2026
  • God had never mandated sickness for His image and likeness, and I could not be fooled into feeling the effects of what was simply an unreal suggestion coming to thought.
    Reece Schaberg, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026
Adjective
  • Not to be outdone, Nintendo released a console of their own, the GameCube, which was a little underappreciated in its heyday, but has reached almost mythical status with the passage of time.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026
  • Since her tragic death at age 36 in 1997, the almost mythical lure of her jewels has only grown.
    Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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