fantasy

American  

[fan-tuh-see, -zee] / ˈfæn tə si, -zi /

Rarely phantasy

noun

plural

fantasies

1. imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

2. the forming of mental images, especially wondrous or strange ones; imaginative conceptualizing.

3. a mental image, especially when unreal or fantastic; vision.

   a nightmare fantasy.

4. Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream.

5. a hallucination.

6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion.

   dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies.

7. caprice; whim.

8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention.

9. a genre of fiction involving magical, folkloric, or mythical elements.

   I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately.

10. Literature. Also an imaginative or fanciful work, especially one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters.

    The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror.

11. Music. fantasia.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a genre of fiction involving magical, folkloric, or mythical elements.

   All his favorite fantasy novels are about elves.

2. noting or relating to any of various games or leagues in which fans assemble players of a professional sport into imaginary teams, and points are scored based on the performance of these players in real games.

   fantasy football;

   fantasy sports.

verb (used with or without object)

fantasied, fantasying

1. to form mental images; imagine; fantasize.

2. Rare. to write or play fantasias.

fantasy British  

/ ˈfæntəsɪ /

noun

1. 1. imagination unrestricted by reality

   2. ( as modifier )

      a fantasy world

2. a creation of the imagination, esp a weird or bizarre one

3. psychol

   1. a series of pleasing mental images, usually serving to fulfil a need not gratified in reality

   2. the activity of forming such images

4. a whimsical or far-fetched notion

5. an illusion, hallucination, or phantom

6. a highly elaborate imaginative design or creation

7. music another word for fantasia fancy development

8. 1. literature having a large fantasy content

   2. a prose or dramatic composition of this type

9. (modifier) of or relating to a competition, often in a newspaper, in which a participant selects players for an imaginary ideal team, and points are awarded according to the actual performances of the chosen players

   fantasy football

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verb

1. a less common word for fantasize

Related Words

See fancy .

Other Word Forms

• nonfantasy noun

Etymology

Origin of fantasy

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English fantasie “imaginative faculty, mental image” (from Anglo-French, Old French ), from Latin phantasia, from Greek phantasía “an idea, notion, image,” literally, “a making visible, display”; see fantastic , -y ³

Explanation

A fantasy is something you imagine, which might involve dragons, unicorns, or an imaginary best friend. If you live in a fantasy world, you're not worrying much about reality — pleasant, maybe, but not very practical. Fantasy is dreams and imagination. In a football fantasy league, you can create your own dream team. In literature, fantasy — a genre similar to science fiction — might include a story about a three-headed squirrel and a bionic aardvark who fall in love on a planet made entirely of strawberries. Romance can be fantasy, too, according to a Billy Joel song: "It's just a fantasy. It's not the real thing. But sometimes a fantasy is all you need."

Example Sentences

Alexandra Silber spent much of her theater career with classic musicals, and several formative years studying acting in Scotland, so she felt it was her fate to adapt Lerner and Loewe’s 1947 fantasy romp, “Brigadoon.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

As a director, his output included classic films like 1984's rock music mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," fantasy gem "The Princess Bride" from 1987, and seminal coming-of-age movie "Stand By Me."

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

It’s easy to picture the fantasy kitchen: matching sets, gleaming gadgets, drawers that close with a soft, expensive hush.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

A ragtag ensemble, a daunting task, an uncertain journey: Here are all the makings of a classic fantasy tale, with the bonus additions of Mr. Stead’s droll humor and eye for whimsical detail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Our teacher perches on the edge of her desk in her bright batik pants, careful not to upset the stack of fantasy novels on the corner.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• delusion
• fancy
• illusion
• nightmare
• reverie
• vision