fantasy 1 of 2

noun

ˈfan-tə-sē How to pronounce fantasy (audio)
variants also phantasy
Definition of fantasynext
1
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality a constant daydreamer who started to believe his own fantasies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others the painter gave free rein to his fantasy to create pictures that capture the kind of reality we experience only in our dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination we were coming to the conclusion that the person Karen "saw" in the woods was another one of her fantasies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fantasy

2 of 2

verb

as in to imagine
to form a mental picture of She regularly fantasies exciting adventures.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fantasy
Noun
Devon Sawa opened up about starring in the fantasy film Casper and struggling to embrace the fandom around it. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 The fantasy of perfectly solitary convenience—DoorDashing a meal for one and binging Netflix alone on the couch—has been a reliable bet in Silicon Valley. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Her plan was to float around an underwater living room set up in her inner, surreal, suffocating fantasy world. — Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 The maker of fantasy video games claims to have 100 children. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
  1. dream
  2. imagination
  3. fiction
  4. imagine
  5. illusion
  6. creativity
  7. tale
  8. envision
Noun
  • There are cellars with vintages dating back to the 1880s and old wine caves covered in mildew and mold, which were a dream for a wine lover like me.
    — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Bilal, who wrote, directed and co-produced the film, said a French theatrical run was a dream come true.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of dream
Noun
  • With memory comes the intertwining of reflection and imagination.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
  • His musical imagination was shaped not only by metal and punk, but by manga, videogames, professional wrestling, and the examples of Korn and Linkin Park.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of imagination
Noun
  • Forty-five films are selected for the fiction shortlist including Cannes 2026 Palme d’Or winner Fjord, Venice Golden Lion winner Woman Unknown and awards season frontrunners such as La Bola Negra and Coward.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Professor Dixon’s emails were just like his fiction writing—intimate and full of quotidian details.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiction
Verb
  • Yet their willingness to talk, listen, and imagine what had seemed impossible helped lay the groundwork for historic nuclear arms reductions.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The sense that a resume goes straight into a black box isn’t imagined – applications per job have more than doubled since 2022, and the average company now has 56% fewer recruiters to review them.
    — Owen Humphries, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of imagine
Noun
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Holliday & Brown brings these two sensibilities together, creating a distinctive offering that combines tradition and creativity.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Matsumoto said the company respected Dwarf’s creativity and was prepared to pay enough, but full funding would have left the studio with no control over a highly original project.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of creativity
Noun
  • Then on Wednesday morning, Luna reunited with her owners thanks to the efforts of local rescuers, tourists and park employees, capping a survival tale that required avoiding bears and coyotes while locating enough sustenance and shelter.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That level of control precluded a Vatican media operation from spinning tall tales as occurred during John Paul's reign.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of tale
Verb
  • Hawka envisions contemplative, quiet scenes in the countryside, with natural light and a documentary-like approach, contrasted with the noise, intense colors, and chaos of the city.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His loneliness is somewhat mitigated by the other sentient AIs he’s uploaded to his mindspace, envisioned by creator Terry Matalas (Syfy’s 12 Monkeys) as a big white house on a purposefully digital green lawn.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of envision

Browse Nearby Words

fantasts
fantasy
fantasying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fantasy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fantasy

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All