variants
also phantasy
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
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
María Mérida, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
The backfield is not dependable in fantasy.
—Jess Bryant, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The homes here are not the homes of Hawaiian relocation fantasies: Machinery, clumps of cars, sheds and John Deere vehicles crowd overgrown lawns.
—Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
The Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido, a 1908 Moorish fantasy commissioned by entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, boasts Byzantine domes and an eclectic façade that have sheltered everyone from Winston Churchill to Erroll Flynn, from Greta Garbo to Clark Gable.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Noun
Blair is a person with flaws, and of course, there’s also the whole glamour thing surrounding her and that fantasy part.
—María Mérida, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
The backfield is not dependable in fantasy.
—Jess Bryant, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The homes here are not the homes of Hawaiian relocation fantasies: Machinery, clumps of cars, sheds and John Deere vehicles crowd overgrown lawns.
—Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
The Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido, a 1908 Moorish fantasy commissioned by entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, boasts Byzantine domes and an eclectic façade that have sheltered everyone from Winston Churchill to Erroll Flynn, from Greta Garbo to Clark Gable.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
Noun
-
Are your security goals on course to support your bigger dreams in life?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Many surrealist artists cast women as muses or dream figures conjured for the male gaze.—
Sally Jane Brown,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This view, for me at least, more than anything else connects the dots of our historically informed imagination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
As his imagination grows into vast cities and impossible creatures, fantasy blurs with reality.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Successful or not, the fact that alternatives exist at all suggests virtual particles might be useful fiction rather than physical truth.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As fiction and technology intersect, the project opens new terrain for narrative experimentation and audience engagement.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Economist Pierre Azoulay and colleagues recently imagined an alternative history where NIH was 40% smaller and dispersed less money – a budget akin to current federal proposals.—
Ryan Summers,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
If people’s lives become intertwined after just a few months, imagine after 19 years together.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The series can feel like a collective daydream.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Kacy Hill’s music sounds — and feels — like an ethereal daydream.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In blending creativity with community, and in each collection and cause, Scott is passing her Texas spirit onward.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
-
From streetwear to high fashion, the borough has a reputation for individuality and creativity.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Out of this mess came the last great invention of the twentieth century.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Jacques Cousteau’s 1949 aqualung invention spurred a new era of undersea activity.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Anderson envisioned the scene where Penn’s Lockjaw does his paternity test with Willa as taking place in a chapel, so La Purisima’s sanctuary provided the perfect backdrop for his perverse quest.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Lazarus envisions Versant as a bridge between the past and future of media, a company that will use the large but declining cash generated by cable subscriptions to fund acquisition and investment in building the next generation of news and sports media.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share