fancy
Americanadjective
-
fancier,
comparative
-
fanciest
superlative
-
ornamental; decorative; not plain.
a cake with a fancy icing.
-
tending or intending to impress: fancy four-syllable words.
a fancy degree in geophysics;
fancy four-syllable words.
-
complicated or difficult to perform or execute.
a couple doing some fancy footwork on the dance floor.
-
depending on imagination or caprice; whimsical; irregular.
a fancy conception of time.
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made, designed, grown, adapted, etc., to please the taste or fancy; of superfine quality or exceptional appeal.
fancy goods; fancy fruits.
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bred to develop points of beauty or excellence, as an animal.
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much too costly; exorbitant or extravagant.
a consultant who charges fancy fees.
noun
-
fancies
plural
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imagination or fantasy, especially as exercised in a capricious manner.
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the artistic ability of creating unreal or whimsical imagery, decorative detail, etc., as in poetry or drawing.
-
a mental image or conception.
He had happy fancies of being a famous actor.
- Synonyms:
- phantasm, idea, impression, notion, thought
-
an idea or opinion with little foundation; illusion.
Her belief that she can sing is a mere fancy.
-
It was his fancy to fly to Paris occasionally for dinner.
-
capricious preference; inclination; a liking.
to take a fancy to walking barefoot in the streets.
-
critical judgment; taste.
-
the breeding of animals to develop points of beauty or excellence.
-
Archaic. the fancy, people deeply interested in a sport, art, etc.
-
Obsolete. sexual love.
verb (used with object)
-
fancies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fancied,
past participle, past
-
fancying
present participle
-
to form a conception of; picture to oneself.
Fancy living with that egotist all your life!
-
to believe without being absolutely sure or certain.
I fancy you are my new neighbor.
-
to take a liking to; like.
I really fancy the spotted one in that litter.
-
to want or desire.
I fancy another piece of cake.
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to breed to develop a special type of animal.
interjection
verb phrase
adjective
-
not plain; ornamented or decorative
a fancy cake
fancy clothes
-
requiring skill to perform; intricate
a fancy dance routine
-
arising in the imagination; capricious or illusory
-
( often used ironically ) superior in quality or impressive
a fancy course in business administration
-
higher than expected
fancy prices
-
(of a domestic animal) bred for particular qualities
noun
-
a sudden capricious idea; whim
-
a sudden or irrational liking for a person or thing
-
the power to conceive and represent decorative and novel imagery, esp in poetry. Fancy was held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than imagination See imagination
-
an idea or thing produced by this
-
a mental image
-
taste or judgment, as in art of dress
-
Also called: fantasy, fantasia. music a composition for solo lute, keyboard, etc, current during the 16th and 17th centuries
-
archaic those who follow a particular sport, esp prize fighting
verb
-
to picture in the imagination
-
to suppose; imagine
I fancy it will rain
-
(often used with a negative) to like
I don't fancy your chances!
-
(reflexive) to have a high or ill-founded opinion of oneself
he fancied himself as a doctor
-
informal to have a wish for; desire
she fancied some chocolate
-
informal to be physically attracted to (another person)
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to breed (animals) for particular characteristics
interjection
Synonym Usage
Fancy, fantasy, imagination refer to qualities in literature or other artistic composition. The creations of fancy are casual, whimsical, and often amusing, being at once less profound and less moving or inspiring than those of imagination: letting one's fancy play freely on a subject; an impish fancy. Fantasy now usually suggests an unrestrained or extravagant fancy, often resulting in caprice: The use of fantasy in art creates interesting results. The term and concept of creative imagination are less than two hundred years old; previously only the reproductive aspect had been recognized, hardly to be distinguished from memory. “Creative imagination” suggests that the memories of actual sights and experiences may so blend in the mind of the writer or artist as to produce something that has never existed before—often a hitherto unperceived vision of reality: to use imagination in portraying character and action.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fancysimple
-
fanciessimple
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have fanciedperfect
-
has fanciedperfect
-
am fancyingprogressive
-
are fancyingprogressive
-
is fancyingprogressive
-
have been fancyingperfect progressive
-
has been fancyingperfect progressive
Past
-
fanciedsimple
-
had fanciedperfect
-
was fancyingprogressive
-
were fancyingprogressive
-
had been fancyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fancy
First recorded in 1400–1450; Middle English fan(t)sy, syncopated variant of fantasie fantasy
Explanation
Fancy can be an adjective, noun, or a verb. As an adjective, it’s the opposite of plain. The noun names something that isn’t real. When someone likes or wants something, the verb can be used: “I fancy a cup of tea.” Doesn’t that sound fancy? Fancy is an old contraction of the word fantasy. You’ll often see this word used in the phrase “flights of fancy.” This phrase refers to an unrealistic goal or idea such as, “He has flights of fancy about running off to Hollywood and becoming a movie star.” Fancy can also be used as an expression of affection. If you have a crush on someone, for instance, you could say that you “took a fancy” to him or her.
Vocabulary lists containing fancy
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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.
See Examples For:
An influx of fancy hotels is set to transform the laid-back region of central Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Whichever captain in the “Star Trek” franchise you fancy — Janeway, Kirk, Sisko, Pike, etc.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Showy jewelry and fancy cars hold no appeal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Roberts called for similar events to be held throughout the year, saying children also needed fancy dress outfits for school discos and other occasions.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Instead of pizza, however, he found a table laid with fancy plates, candlesticks, and a yummy-looking braided loaf of bread.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
She fancies it a joke to get the townspeople off her back, rubbing their traditions back in their faces.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Rep. Ro Khanna, who fancies himself presidential material, has congratulated Ms. Kiros and claimed credit for having “spotted” her as a “generational talent.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
While acknowleding the possibility of mild investor disappointment versus the run-up in expectations, he still fancies estimates to be raised over the next few quarters.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Ruegg, who won last year's TDU on the demanding Willunga Hill climb, fancies her chances of defending her tour title on Monday.
From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026
The point is that one can usually find loopholes which will enable one to hold on to whatever pet theory one fancies.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
None of the thousands of couples I’ve worked with over the past 30 years have ever told me they wished they’d bought a fancier car.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
I have a fancier fleece blanket that should work nicely for Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s cape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
“If some app tries to tell you it has a fancier forecast, you roll your eyes a bit, because it all mostly comes from governments.”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
I saw my friend talking to some other guy in a fancier uniform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Soon Luxa swept into the room in a dress that was a lot fancier than the clothes she’d worn in the stadium.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
The supply chain bringing matsutake mushrooms from under the tree stumps of southwestern China to its fanciest hotels offers a window into the country’s logistical prowess.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, has said that employers believe AI skills have an edge over “the fanciest degrees.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025
Year 5 pupils in Stratus Class at Riverley Primary School in Leyton, were awarded the title for their joke submission to a UK-wide competition: "What do you call the fanciest punctuation? An a-posh-trophe".
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025
The nicest, most renovated parks, with the fanciest playgrounds and the coolest splash pads, can be found in the other districts.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2024
It boiled down to this: I wanted to buy the fanciest, most expensive casket in the place, complete with every extra handle and cushion a casket could possibly have.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
When I recently wrote about the cultural phenomenon of Costco fandom, I fancied myself a wizened warehouse wizard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
In response, Lyndon Farnham said he "fancied it coming into public ownership somehow".
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
If she fancied a dress in the display window at the Broadway or Bullocks, it would appear in a fancy box on her bed a few days later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
If you’ve ever fancied a gondola ride through Venice’s famous canals, now might be the time—many Americans have already grasped the opportunity this summer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
And besides, Onofre fancied himself a bit of a whiz at the keyboard, too.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Just two days earlier, I’d been on the slopes in Vermont fancying myself a paragon of wellness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
As we enter the busiest period of the season, there will be a lot of teams still fancying their chances of making a push for Europe.
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2024
But the narrator—technologically astute and, by proxy, fancying herself a savvy reader of people—discerns the clandestine love story.
From Slate ● May 27, 2024
While it’s not particularly difficult to find a film you’re fancying at any given moment, it’s not particularly easy, either.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
ALBUS: Apart from the Polly Chapman fancying you bits.
From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling
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