fantasize
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
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to conceive extravagant or whimsical ideas, images, etc
-
(intr) to conceive pleasant or satisfying mental images
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
fantasizesimple
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fantasizessimple
-
have fantasizedperfect
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has fantasizedperfect
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am fantasizingprogressive
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are fantasizingprogressive
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is fantasizingprogressive
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have been fantasizingperfect progressive
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has been fantasizingperfect progressive
Past
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fantasizedsimple
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had fantasizedperfect
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was fantasizingprogressive
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were fantasizingprogressive
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had been fantasizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fantasize
Explanation
To fantasize is to imagine things that are not true and sometimes not possible. We fantasize about things we wish were real. Have you ever daydreamed that you're a king, or a superstar in the NBA, or able to fly? Then you've been fantasizing. Fantasizing is something everyone does, though we all have different fantasies. You can fantasize about things that are possible or impossible, including being the President, riding a unicorn, or being the President of unicorns. You can fantasize about anything you can imagine.
Vocabulary lists containing fantasize
Shut Up, This Is Serious
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Legendary Frybread Drive-In
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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.
If you fantasize about retiring abroad, stories of blissful expats will only stoke your desire.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Toward the book’s end they fantasize about a world in which your local Waffle House serves “mycelium-based steak and Impossible burgers for the patty melts,” with red meat unavailable at most restaurants.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
I let myself fantasize about doing the same with my baby, about hearing the cries as soon as he or she emerged instead of eerie silence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025
The sort of clever monologue we fantasize in the shower about delivering to someone who makes a hobby out of treating us like crap.
From Salon • May 27, 2025
Isn't it funny the way you fantasize about junk food when you're a kid?
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
