take a fancy to

Idioms

Also,. Be attracted to someone or something, as in They took a fancy to spicy foods after their Mexican vacation, or I'm hoping he'll take a liking to the water, now that we have a cottage on a lake, or We think Bill's taken a shine to Betsy. The first term was first recorded in 1541, the first variant in 1570, and the last, a colloquialism, in 1850.

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.

What Sir John had not anticipated was that his old friend, famed archeologist Professor Tennant, and his beautiful young daughter Lyn would take a fancy to the Hestia and go along as passengers.

From Time Magazine Archive

She revived, turned to have another look at Winston, and seemed immediately to take a fancy to him.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Why anybody—even a girl—would take a fancy to a doll was beyond me, but this one was something special.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

“Maybe not. Only the Lord knows about that. Come into the house before they take a fancy to you. Who knows what Mr. Heron’s told them about your brother.”

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

He would take a fancy to a person for no reason, and be friendly one day perhaps and sullen the next.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

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