1
as in imagining
to form a mental picture of
try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in enjoying
to take pleasure in
the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fancying
And there was a smattering of other items, which the visitor, fancying himself an amateur academic archeologist, thought worth noting.
—
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancying
Verb
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But importantly, the model is not actually imagining anything or engaging in any deliberation, just reproducing patterns in how people talk or write about these counterfactuals.—
Walter Quattrociocchi,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
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There’s something about studying real-life situations that have happened and then creating and imagining into this fictional kind of characterization of things.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As if three promotions in as many years weren’t enough for Wrexham, the north Wales club co-owned by Hollywood stars Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds are enjoying another memorable campaign.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Ferreira dispensed with the usual pablum, about not focusing on results, taking it one day at a time, enjoying the journey and what have you.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Around back-to-school time every August, health providers in Dallas are used to seeing lines of patients out the door to get routine immunizations, Huang said, but not this year.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Daughter #1 will not communicate with #2 and won’t even acknowledge her new baby and even seeing a photo of the baby can set her off.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To top things off, it’s almost been a month since our conversation about the guy liking me.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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The answer is, not very, although at least liking lesbians enough to laugh with and not at their culture surely counts as a prerequisite.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Principal Michael Ferzoco founded the interior design firm in 2005, envisioning a novel and increasingly collaborative approach.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
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But the Republican president’s ambitions have expanded to envisioning the board as a mediator of worldwide conflicts, a not very subtle attempt to eclipse the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security.—
Edith M. Lederer,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After all, any chance to save a few dollars is one worth savoring.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
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Despite the grind of an NFL career, Jarrett is savoring life as a dad.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Naturally, news of such unrest has Chiefs fans dreaming big.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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REM sleep is when dreaming occurs.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And within that special group of music-loving daredevils, each has their own reason for applying a soundtrack to their death-defying jumps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The freedom-loving sign tends to struggle with routine and rigidity, making a pairing with comfort creature Taurus particularly challenging.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fancying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancying. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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