fantasticate

American  

[fan-tas-ti-keyt] / fænˈtæs tɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

fantasticated, fantasticating

1. to make or render fantastic.

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Etymology

Origin of fantasticate

First recorded in 1590–1600; fantastic + -ate ¹

Explanation

To fantasticate is to imagine or invent fanciful, unrealistic, or extravagant ideas. When telling a story, you might fantasticate by adding whimsical or even bizarre details. It's not a great idea to fantasticate when trying to convince someone that you're telling the truth. But if you're trying to create a surreal work of art or an otherworldly story setting, fantasticate to your heart's content. When you fantasticate, you let your imagination run wild, creating something beyond the realm of normal, practical, or believable. Like its parent word, fantastic, this word comes from a Greek word originally meaning "to make visible" and later, "to have visions."

Example Sentences

“There is a definite attempt to heighten reality,” Mr. Walton told the New York Times in 1991, explaining his approach to “Mary Poppins,” “to fantasticate it, and try to make it a matter of delight.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2022