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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Example Sentences
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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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While most players at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship are battling the Texas heat, slow play, and a demanding Fields Ranch East layout, Leona Maguire is dealing with something far more bizarre—tick bites!—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
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The bizarre mix of world football and American football was once again clashing early in the game.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The nutrient can indeed help with all of those, but sometimes, the claims turn absurd.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2025
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The College World Series semifinals concluded Wednesday, allowing Houston Astros manager Joe Espada another chance to marvel at an absurd ascension.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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In the film, a massive great white shark hunts people swimming in the water surrounding the fictitious Amity Island.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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Ever since Max began streaming the drama about life in a fictitious Pittsburgh emergency room, it’s been one pinch-me moment after another for Wyle and his fellow executive producers John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
12 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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Several heads of industry have toyed with creating an imaginary staff, embracing the self-mirroring feedback loop of their output as a plus.—
Sheldon Pearce,
NPR,
17 June 2025
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Answer: Minnesota Who was Riley’s childhood imaginary friend?—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Even with the security, though, collectors and fans are able to get up close to items that may have previously seemed mythical.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The electric Nebraska has become a mythical object for Springsteen fans over the years, and there’s been a lot of evidence suggesting the tapes do exist.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 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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In experiments set up to leave AI models few options and stress-test alignment, top systems from OpenAI, Google, and others frequently resorted to blackmail—and in an extreme case, even allowed fictional deaths—to protect their interests.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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