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 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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fanciful
But instead of brushing out the curls, Fox left them as-is, giving her look a sweet, fanciful twist.
—
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Feb. 2026
Carmichael began cooking in New York after moving from Barbados, celebrated in his fanciful parade of curry, coconut, and chiles.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
There should be playful moments and fanciful details.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
From the practical to the fanciful For academics, the Factbook offered hard reliable data that was updated each year.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Feb. 2026
Carmichael began cooking in New York after moving from Barbados, celebrated in his fanciful parade of curry, coconut, and chiles.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
There should be playful moments and fanciful details.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
From the practical to the fanciful For academics, the Factbook offered hard reliable data that was updated each year.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
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The actor compares the image of a man blocking a tank, an impulsive move of resistance by one person, to how Berenger has to maneuver, then openly question, the increasing aggressive and bizarre actions of his fellow townsfolk.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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But Saturday’s most bizarre finish unfolded at Winter Park High School, where fans of both the Wildcats and Lake Mary ran onto the court to celebrate victory after the horn sounded, ending a low-scoring game that had fans on the edge of their seats all night.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Casa Maruka Cleverly channeling an old-fashioned casa de comidas complete with an imaginary granny (Maruka) at the stove and classic Spanish dishes tweaked for modern tastes, Alberto Serrano and Maria José Calabria continue to preside over what may be Palma’s most consistently enjoyable restaurant.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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Locate the two uppermost stars — Merak and Dubhe — and draw an imaginary line from the former through the latter and out into space.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As a result, the price of gold is now approaching $5,300 an ounce, a level that would have seemed absurd even to seasoned commodities traders just a few years ago.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Luke and Mike Bell, the father-and-son team from South Africa already famous for pushing electric quadcopters to velocities that seemed positively absurd, appear to be building for both.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The committee requested that information after a congressional watchdog found last December that the enhanced premium tax credits were vulnerable to fraud, with auditors successfully obtaining subsidized coverage for multiple ‘fictitious’ applicants.—
Sophie Brams,
The Hill,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Although his fortunes have faltered, counting Trump out would be foolish.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
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But counting on two players with hamstring issues to rescue the defense seems more foolish than strategic.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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German defense technology startup SWARM Biotactics has deployed programmable cyborg insect swarms for paying NATO customers, including German military forces, moving a seemingly fictional concept from experiments to operational field use.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
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On Friday, Bella Hadid stepped out in Milan to promote her new collaboration with Miss Sixty, rocking blunt platinum bangs reminiscent of the fictional pop star.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Looking back on 10 years seems a little unreal, says Juliana Calloway.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
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Evergreens in thick blankets of snow look almost unreal, like something out of Finnish Lapland or the pages of a Narnia novel.—
Claire Sibonney,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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To be sung, and now written, about was to achieve a kind of mythic divinity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
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The calm shatters when a local boy is found drowned near the mythical island of Svärtan.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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