fantasist

American

[fan-tuh-sist, -zist, fan-tey-zhist] / ˈfæn tə sɪst, -zɪst, fænˈteɪ ʒɪst /

noun

a person who writes or composes fantasies or fantasias in music, poetry, or the like.

fantasist British

/ ˈfæntəsɪst /

noun

a person who indulges in fantasies
a person who writes musical or literary fantasies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fantasist

First recorded in 1920–25; fantas(y) + -ist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Uchis is among pop’s foremost fantasists; her music invites the listener to get lost in an expertly appointed dreamland.

From Los Angeles Times

He was described in court as a "lost soul" and an "eccentric fantasist" who believed he could manage Arsenal football club or even England.

From BBC

Jurors in May rejected claims they were fantasists with no intention of carrying out their threats.

From Barron's

During his trial, it was heard that he created the "CV of a fantasist" - claiming he was a multi-millionaire, a former bomb disposal expert and an inventor.

From BBC

Prosecutors said he created the "CV of a fantasist" - claiming among other things that he was a multi-millionaire, a polymer scientist, a former bomb disposal expert and had invented the "bag for life".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023