Synonyms of fanciful

fanciful

adjective

ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bizarre
• absurd
• foolish
• unreal
• insane
• crazy
• strange
• fantastic
• nonsensical
• preposterous
• wild
• ridiculous
• curious
• grotesque
• incredible
• peculiar
• implausible
• odd
• weird
• funny
• extravagant
• eccentric
• off the wall
• inconceivable
• unbelievable
• outlandish
• quirky
• unimaginable
• ludicrous
• wacky
• unthinkable
• quaint
• surreal
• farcical
• laughable
• queer
• outré
• dreamlike
• nightmarish
• kinky
• out-of-the-way
• kooky
• Alice-in-Wonderland
• far-out
• screwy
• way-out
• bizarro
• queerish
• Kafkaesque

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reasonable
• realistic

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imaginary
• fictitious
• fictional
• mythical
• imagined
• fantasied
• imaginal
• chimerical
• ideal
• unreal
• invented
• make-believe
• phantasmal
• phantom
• fantastic
• notional
• theoretical
• visionary
• romantic
• phantasmic
• fabulous
• made-up
• hypothetical
• unlikely
• pretend
• legendary
• abstract
• unconvincing
• unbelievable
• fabled
• deceptive
• delusive
• illusory
• hallucinatory
• envisioned
• phantasmagoric
• delusional
• fictive
• conceived
• visualized
• concocted
• envisaged
• nonexistent
• pictured
• fabricated
• feigned
• daydreamlike
• inexistent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• real
• actual
• true
• existing
• genuine
• authentic
• factual
• existent
• realistic
• convincing
• verifiable
• substantial
• physical
• believable
• solid
• tangible
• material
• corporeal
• palpable
• verified

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

Recent Examples of fanciful

Commentators frame the idea as fanciful or provocative. —Paul McCarthy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026

While retaining an old-school, aristocratic vibe, Adare's fanciful gargoyles, genuinely warm staff, grand and intimate spaces, and super-comfortable rooms make it somewhere uniquely and unabashedly the Ireland of now. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

His critics in Democratic politics consider his obsessions dangerous distractions, built on fanciful thinking, from the difficult work of winning elections and regaining power. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 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, 13 Jan. 2026