fanciful

[fan-si-fuhl]

See more synonyms for fanciful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

characterized by or showing fancy; capricious or whimsical in appearance: a fanciful design of butterflies and flowers.
suggested by fancy; imaginary; unreal: fanciful lands of romance.
led by fancy rather than by reason and experience; whimsical: a fanciful mind.

Origin of fanciful

First recorded in 1620–30; fancy + -ful

Related formsfan·ci·ful·ly, adverbfan·ci·ful·ness, nouno·ver·fan·ci·ful, adjectiveo·ver·fan·ci·ful·ly, adverbo·ver·fan·ci·ful·ness, nounun·fan·ci·ful, adjective

Synonyms

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2. visionary, baseless, illusory.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fanciful

Contemporary Examples

But such primitive and fanciful ideas are just the skin on top of hot milk.
Putin’s Dream of Empire Doesn’t Stop at Crimea, Or Even Ukraine
Oleg Shynkarenko
March 23, 2014
The characters struck me as fanciful, and the plot was contrived.
Of Sin and College: Robert Stone’s ‘Death of a Black-Haired Girl’
Tom LeClair
November 18, 2013
Expect some fanciful linguistic contortions when asked whether or not this is, in fact, a “coup?”
Egypt: That Was A Coup
Ali Gharib
July 3, 2013
The fanciful assertion that nation states lessen it is unlikely to convince a Russian or Chinese dissident, or Tibetan.
Savaging Primitives: Why Jared Diamond’s ‘The World Until Yesterday’ Is Completely Wrong
Stephen Corry
January 30, 2013
I was afraid to tell my story directly, wanted to couch it in a fanciful (and imitative) yarn of sex and intrigue.
‘Miracle Boy Grows Up’: Ben Mattlin Speaks to Jay McInerney
Jay McInerney
December 22, 2012

Historical Examples

The fable is fanciful and pleasing in itself; but will it not hereafter be believed as reality?
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
The thing was incomprehensible to Tip, and altogether a fanciful notion.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
He found, when he looked up, that this sensation was not a fanciful one.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
He did not like to offer her money, but a pretty, fanciful idea occurred to him.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
We must separate the fanciful from the real, or at least make the one subservient to the other.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for fanciful

fanciful

adjective

not based on fact; dubious or imaginaryfanciful notions
made or designed in a curious, intricate, or imaginative way
indulging in or influenced by fancy; whimsical

Derived Formsfancifully, adverbfancifulness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for fanciful

adj.

1620s, from fancy (n.) + -ful. Related: Fancifully.

fanciful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}fanciful

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for fanciful

Contemporary Examples

But such primitive and fanciful ideas are just the skin on top of hot milk.

The characters struck me as fanciful, and the plot was contrived.

Expect some fanciful linguistic contortions when asked whether or not this is, in fact, a “coup?”

The fanciful assertion that nation states lessen it is unlikely to convince a Russian or Chinese dissident, or Tibetan.

I was afraid to tell my story directly, wanted to couch it in a fanciful (and imitative) yarn of sex and intrigue.

Historical Examples

The fable is fanciful and pleasing in itself; but will it not hereafter be believed as reality?

The thing was incomprehensible to Tip, and altogether a fanciful notion.

He found, when he looked up, that this sensation was not a fanciful one.

He did not like to offer her money, but a pretty, fanciful idea occurred to him.

We must separate the fanciful from the real, or at least make the one subservient to the other.

fanciful

Word Origin and History for fanciful

adj.

Origin of fanciful