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.

See Examples For:

fantasist

In an interview with The Times earlier this month, Arday admitted making academic "mistakes" but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud".

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Arday has admitted to mistakes, but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud."

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Anyone suggesting such a scene a year ago would have been described as a fantasist or a purveyor of bad fiction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Even the hardened counter-terrorism detectives investigating Khalife accept he is largely a fantasist.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024

ALBUS: You are aware that you’re an utter fantasist.

From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

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