fancy

1 a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality a writer with a prodigious talent for creating fancies that captivate readers young and old Synonyms chimera, conceit, daydream, delusion, dream, fantasy, figment, hallucination, illusion, nonentity, phantasm (also fantasm), pipe dream, unreality, visionRelated Words ignis fatuus, mirage, will-o'-the-wisp; brainchild, idea; concoction, fable, fabrication, fiction, invention; envisaging, imaging, visualization; cloud-cuckoo-land, cloudland, Shangri-la, utopia; daymare, nightmareNear Antonyms actuality, fact, reality

2 a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action is this a serious interest in music, or just your latest fancy that will be forgotten after a week? Synonyms bee, caprice, crank, whim, freak, humor, kink, maggot, megrim, notion, vagary, vagrancy, whimsy (also whimsey)Related Words capriciousness, fancifulness, fantasy (also phantasy), freakishness, impetuosity, whimsicality; conceit; concept, conception, image, impression, mind's eye, picture, thought; brainstorm, inspiration

3 positive regard for something now that he's rich he's taken a fancy to expensive sports cars Synonyms appetite, liking, favor, fondness, like, love, love affair, partiality, preference, relish, shine, taste, useRelated Words craving, desire, hankering, longing, thirst, yen; enthusiasm, gusto, interest, passion; bias, prejudice; bent, inclination, leaning, propensity, tendency; tooth; palate; weaknessNear Antonyms apathy, disinclination; indifference, unconcernAntonyms aversion, disfavor, disgust, dislike, distaste, hatred, loathing, mislike

4 the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others to fans of Lewis Carroll, the animal creations of his fertile fancy are as real as any creature to be found at the zoo Synonyms contrivance, creativity, imagination, fantasy (also phantasy), ideation, imaginativeness, invention, inventiveness, originalityRelated Words brainstorm, brainstorming, inspiration; fecundity, fertility; ingenuity, resourcefulness; versatility; chimera, daydream, delusion, dream, figment, hallucination, illusion, mind's eye, mirage, phantasm (also fantasm), pipe dream; envisaging, visualizationNear Antonyms literality, literalness

1 to form a mental picture of try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India Synonyms conceit [chiefly dialect], conceive, conjure (up), dream, envisage, envision, imagine, fantasize, fantasy, feature, ideate, image, picture, see, vision, visualizeRelated Words daydream, stargaze; hallucinate; re-create, reflect, relive, reminisce; contemplate, meditate, muse, ponder, ruminate; concoct, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, plan, project; foresee, prefigure

2 to take pleasure in the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown Synonyms adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, get off (on), groove (on), like, love, rejoice (in), relish, revel (in), savor (also savour)Related Words admire, appreciate, cherish, revere, venerate, worship; prize, treasure, value; devour, drink (in), eat (up), feast (on); dote (on), idolize; cotton (to), favor, prefer; indulge (in), luxuriate (in), wallow (in)Near Antonyms abhor, abominate, detest, dislike, hate, loathe; condemn, despise, scorn