fancier

American  

[fan-see-er] / ˈfæn si ər /

noun

1. a person having a liking for or interest in something; enthusiast.

   a fancier of sports cars.

2. a person who breeds animals, plants, etc., especially in order to improve the strain.

   a horse fancier.

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fancier British  

/ ˈfænsɪə /

noun

1. a person with a special interest in something

2. a person who breeds plants or animals, often as a pastime

   a bird fancier

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Etymology

Origin of fancier

First recorded in 1755–65; fancy + -er ¹

Explanation

Someone crazy about something can be called a fancier. If you join a club to promote the well-being of pheasants, someone might describe you as "a pheasant fancier." That just means you like pheasants a lot. The word fancier can refer to someone who fancies (or really likes) something — such as dogs or wine or chocolate. It can also be used to describe someone who breeds a particular animal, with the intent of improving the breed. Make sure you don’t confuse this word with the adjective fancy, which has a comparative form that is also spelled “fancier.” That fancier would be used in the sense of “more ornamental” or “more extravagant” — as in "My prom dress is fancier than yours."

Example Sentences

The apartment was in a modest suburb, and the Mengele family had the wealth for something much fancier.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Those reasons include nicer planes with seats that will fold into a couch, faster Wi-Fi, fancier wine and a mobile app that fliers actually find helpful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Stretch the night in one or two directions—bigger in scope, richer in ingredients or a little fancier in presentation.

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026

Sales of fancier phones mean higher average prices.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

If I changed my mind and asked for a bigger and fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me—but then he'd buy it for Hassan too.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• aficionado