fancy

1 of 3

verb

fan·cy ˈfan(t)-sē How to pronounce fancy (audio)

fancied; fancying

transitive verb

: to have a fancy (see fancy entry 2 sense 1) for : like

He's all right, I suppose, but I can't say that I fancy him.

: to form a conception of : imagine

fancy our embarrassment

Just fancy my surprise when I heard that he was getting married.

: to believe mistakenly or without evidence

: to believe without being certain

she fancied she had met him before

real or fancied wrongs

: to visualize or interpret as

fancied myself a child again

fancy

2 of 3

noun

plural fancies

: a liking formed by caprice rather than reason : inclination

took a fancy to the mutt

: amorous fondness : love

She took a fancy to the young man.

: notion, whim

: an image or representation of something formed in the mind

archaic : fantastic quality or state

: imagination especially of a capricious or delusive sort

His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy.

: the power of conception and representation used in artistic expression (as by a poet)

: taste, judgment

a person of delicate fancy

: devotees of some particular art, practice, or amusement

: the object of interest of such a fancy

especially : boxing entry 1

fancy

3 of 3

adjective

fancier; fanciest

: dependent or based on fancy : whimsical

a(1)

: not plain : ornamental

a fancy hairdo

(2)

: swank sense 2, posh

a fancy restaurant

b(1)

: of particular excellence or highest grade

fancy tuna

(2)

: impressive

posted some fancy numbers

of an animal or plant : bred especially for bizarre or ornamental qualities that lack practical utility

: based on conceptions of the fancy

fancy sketches

: dealing in fancy goods

: extravagant

paying fancy prices

: executed with technical skill and style

fancy footwork

fancy diving

: parti-color

fancy carnations

fancily

ˈfan(t)-sə-lē How to pronounce fancy (audio)

adverb

fanciness

ˈfan(t)-sē-nəs How to pronounce fancy (audio)

noun

Example Sentences

Verb Which horse do you fancy in the Derby? try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India Noun His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy. Critics have dismissed his plan as mere fancy. Adjective He drives a big, fancy car. we're having a little get-together after the concert—nothing fancy See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Both fancy themselves cold and calculating grifters, but are not prepared to play on the level at which Lalo and Mike exist.

Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2022 Then again, who wouldn’t fancy a 6-foot-11 left-hander who can snatch a rebound, create his own fast break and either pull up for a 3-pointer, deliver a precise pass or drive for a dunk?

New York Times, 6 July 2022 Many fancy the use of legislation with quotas to improve board diversity.

Patricia Lenkov, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Up in England, United aren't the only Manchester club who fancy De Jong, with Premier PINC +1.4% League champions Manchester City also admirers of the ex-Ajax promise.

Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 26 May 2022 The key ingredient in every recipe, though, is always us: the people who fancy themselves the arbiters of what makes a dog a dog.

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2022 Although rival Barcelona is compiling some enviable players in central areas, and Atlético Madrid will stick around near the top, Real will fancy another league title if Tchouameni is available for selection when August comes.

Henry Flynn, Forbes, 2 June 2022 In the same way that some true crime enthusiasts fancy themselves amateur, independent investigators, some are drawn in by watching someone else make an extreme choice, like going on the run with a criminal, Vicary said.

Scottie Andrew, CNN, 7 May 2022 If Yungblud led a cult, many would join — even those who fancy themselves hard to persuade.

Maria Sherman, SPIN, 2 May 2022

Noun

If so, these comical names might tickle your fancy.

Karla Pope, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 Our Thoughts: If chili from a can is your thing, then this chili cheese dog may strike your fancy.

cleveland, 19 July 2022 Don’t fret, there are also cozy sweatpants and lightweight shorts that are sure to tickle your fancy.

Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 25 Mar. 2022 From there, your flights of fancy can come to fruition.

Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 28 July 2022 But there was something about the situation in the Beehive State that struck his fancy.

Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 May 2022 The one that really caught our fancy was her class on chewy chapatis; aromatic beef, chicken, or vegetable curry; and ugali with steamed cabbage.

Bon Appétit, 13 May 2022 Peter Sellers couldn’t have concocted a more deranged flight of fancy.

Lorraine Alitelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 The Wildcat's interior is show-car fancy, with exotic-looking seats that would be appropriate in a Ferrari, maybe, but in a Buick SUV?

Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 1 June 2022

Adjective

The vibe was a mix of fancy and casual, of sequins and sweatshirts.

Jocelyn Noveck, ajc, 10 Sep. 2022 The name of the fancy building, today a co-op, comes from that illustrious branch of her family.

John Kelly, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 That’s how many times this author looked underneath the 2013 Boss 302 Laguna Seca to make sure some crafty Ford employee hadn’t replaced the solid axle with a fancy-pants independent-rear-suspension setup.

Car and Driver, 9 Sep. 2022 For years, real-estate agents showed Parker places that were too fancy and lacked the local character that had been drawing her to Long Island as a renter for more than a decade.

Stacie Stukin, ELLE Decor, 28 July 2022 The structure at Baltimore and Howard streets was never fancy.

Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2022 And if that's not fancy enough for you, there's also another figurine that'll truly make any diehard Moon Knight fan envious.

Milan Polk, Men's Health, 20 Apr. 2022 Go ahead, get fancy — a string of pearls or a jaunty ascot are perfectly appropriate for tea.

Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2022 Urophilia is a fancy name for watersports, golden showers, or the more direct name, pee play.

Angie Jones, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English fantasien, fantesien, fancyen "to plan, devise, create, form (an idea), imagine (something false), desire," in part derivative of fantasie, fantsy, fansey fancy entry 2, in part borrowed from Middle French fantasier "to imagine, invent," verbal derivative of fantasie fantasy entry 1

Noun

Middle English fantasie, fantsy, fansey "the imagination as a faculty, mental image produced by this faculty, deluded notion, figment of the imagination, preference directed by caprice rather than reason, liking" — more at fantasy entry 1

Note: The disyllabic form, a rare variant of fantasie fantasy entry 1 in Middle English, became more common and began to separate in sense from fantasie/fantasy in early Modern English.

Adjective

from attributive use of fancy entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fancy 1 of 3

adjective

fan·cy ˈfan-sē How to pronounce fancy (audio)

fancier; fanciest

: not plain or ordinary

a fancy dress

: being above the average (as in quality or price)

fancy fruits

: done with great skill and grace

fancy diving

fancy

2 of 3

noun

plural fancies

: imagination sense 1

a flight of fancy

: liking

She took a fancy to her new neighbors.

: idea sense 2, notion

… Oz had a fancy to make the balloon in different shades of the color about them.

L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

fancy

3 of 3

verb

fancied; fancying

: to have a liking for

I've never fancied Halloween.

: imagine sense 1

I fancied that I would have married him …

Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved

单词	fancies
释义	fancy 1 of 3 verb fan·cy ˈfan(t)-sē fancied; fancying transitive verb 1 : to have a fancy (see fancy entry 2 sense 1) for : like He's all right, I suppose, but I can't say that I fancy him. 2 : to form a conception of : imagine fancy our embarrassment Just fancy my surprise when I heard that he was getting married. 3 a : to believe mistakenly or without evidence b : to believe without being certain she fancied she had met him before real or fancied wrongs 4 : to visualize or interpret as fancied myself a child again fancy 2 of 3 noun plural fancies 1 a : a liking formed by caprice rather than reason : inclination took a fancy to the mutt b : amorous fondness : love She took a fancy to the young man. 2 a : notion, whim b : an image or representation of something formed in the mind 3 archaic : fantastic quality or state 4 a : imagination especially of a capricious or delusive sort His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy. b : the power of conception and representation used in artistic expression (as by a poet) 5 : taste, judgment a person of delicate fancy 6 a : devotees of some particular art, practice, or amusement b : the object of interest of such a fancy especially : boxing entry 1 fancy 3 of 3 adjective fancier; fanciest 1 : dependent or based on fancy : whimsical 2 a(1) : not plain : ornamental a fancy hairdo (2) : swank sense 2, posh a fancy restaurant b(1) : of particular excellence or highest grade fancy tuna (2) : impressive posted some fancy numbers c of an animal or plant : bred especially for bizarre or ornamental qualities that lack practical utility 3 : based on conceptions of the fancy fancy sketches 4 a : dealing in fancy goods b : extravagant paying fancy prices 5 : executed with technical skill and style fancy footwork fancy diving 6 : parti-color fancy carnations fancily ˈfan(t)-sə-lē adverb fanciness ˈfan(t)-sē-nəs noun Synonyms Verb conceit [chiefly dialect] conceive conjure (up) dream envisage envision fantasize fantasy feature ideate image imagine picture see vision visualize Noun chimera conceit daydream delusion dream fantasy phantasy figment hallucination illusion nonentity phantasm fantasm pipe dream unreality vision Adjective complex complicated detailed elaborate intricate involved sophisticated See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb Which horse do you fancy in the Derby? try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India Noun His plans to build a new stadium are the product of pure fancy. Critics have dismissed his plan as mere fancy. Adjective He drives a big, fancy car. we're having a little get-together after the concert—nothing fancy See More Recent Examples on the Web Verb Both fancy themselves cold and calculating grifters, but are not prepared to play on the level at which Lalo and Mike exist. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2022 Then again, who wouldn’t fancy a 6-foot-11 left-hander who can snatch a rebound, create his own fast break and either pull up for a 3-pointer, deliver a precise pass or drive for a dunk? New York Times, 6 July 2022 Many fancy the use of legislation with quotas to improve board diversity. Patricia Lenkov, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Up in England, United aren't the only Manchester club who fancy De Jong, with Premier PINC +1.4% League champions Manchester City also admirers of the ex-Ajax promise. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 26 May 2022 The key ingredient in every recipe, though, is always us: the people who fancy themselves the arbiters of what makes a dog a dog. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2022 Although rival Barcelona is compiling some enviable players in central areas, and Atlético Madrid will stick around near the top, Real will fancy another league title if Tchouameni is available for selection when August comes. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 2 June 2022 In the same way that some true crime enthusiasts fancy themselves amateur, independent investigators, some are drawn in by watching someone else make an extreme choice, like going on the run with a criminal, Vicary said. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 7 May 2022 If Yungblud led a cult, many would join — even those who fancy themselves hard to persuade. Maria Sherman, SPIN, 2 May 2022 Noun If so, these comical names might tickle your fancy. Karla Pope, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 Our Thoughts: If chili from a can is your thing, then this chili cheese dog may strike your fancy. cleveland, 19 July 2022 Don’t fret, there are also cozy sweatpants and lightweight shorts that are sure to tickle your fancy. Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 25 Mar. 2022 From there, your flights of fancy can come to fruition. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 28 July 2022 But there was something about the situation in the Beehive State that struck his fancy. Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 May 2022 The one that really caught our fancy was her class on chewy chapatis; aromatic beef, chicken, or vegetable curry; and ugali with steamed cabbage. Bon Appétit, 13 May 2022 Peter Sellers couldn’t have concocted a more deranged flight of fancy. Lorraine Alitelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 The Wildcat's interior is show-car fancy, with exotic-looking seats that would be appropriate in a Ferrari, maybe, but in a Buick SUV? Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 1 June 2022 Adjective The vibe was a mix of fancy and casual, of sequins and sweatshirts. Jocelyn Noveck, ajc, 10 Sep. 2022 The name of the fancy building, today a co-op, comes from that illustrious branch of her family. John Kelly, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 That’s how many times this author looked underneath the 2013 Boss 302 Laguna Seca to make sure some crafty Ford employee hadn’t replaced the solid axle with a fancy-pants independent-rear-suspension setup. Car and Driver, 9 Sep. 2022 For years, real-estate agents showed Parker places that were too fancy and lacked the local character that had been drawing her to Long Island as a renter for more than a decade. Stacie Stukin, ELLE Decor, 28 July 2022 The structure at Baltimore and Howard streets was never fancy. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2022 And if that's not fancy enough for you, there's also another figurine that'll truly make any diehard Moon Knight fan envious. Milan Polk, Men's Health, 20 Apr. 2022 Go ahead, get fancy — a string of pearls or a jaunty ascot are perfectly appropriate for tea. Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2022 Urophilia is a fancy name for watersports, golden showers, or the more direct name, pee play. Angie Jones, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb Middle English fantasien, fantesien, fancyen "to plan, devise, create, form (an idea), imagine (something false), desire," in part derivative of fantasie, fantsy, fansey fancy entry 2, in part borrowed from Middle French fantasier "to imagine, invent," verbal derivative of fantasie fantasy entry 1 Noun Middle English fantasie, fantsy, fansey "the imagination as a faculty, mental image produced by this faculty, deluded notion, figment of the imagination, preference directed by caprice rather than reason, liking" — more at fantasy entry 1 Note: The disyllabic form, a rare variant of fantasie fantasy entry 1 in Middle English, became more common and began to separate in sense from fantasie/fantasy in early Modern English. Adjective from attributive use of fancy entry 2 First Known Use Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Adjective 1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing fancy catch someone's fancy fancy Dan fancy dress fancy-free fancy man fancy oneself fancy-pants fancy that flight of fancy/imagination/fantasy fancy woman passing fancy strike someone's fancy take a fancy to tickle someone's fancy fancy up take someone's fancy See More catch someone's fancy fancy Dan fancy dress fancy-free fancy man fancy oneself fancy-pants fancy that flight of fancy/imagination/fantasy fancy woman passing fancy strike someone's fancy take a fancy to tickle someone's fancy fancy up take someone's fancy See More Kids Definition fancy 1 of 3 adjective fan·cy ˈfan-sē fancier; fanciest 1 : not plain or ordinary a fancy dress 2 : being above the average (as in quality or price) fancy fruits 3 : done with great skill and grace fancy diving fancy 2 of 3 noun plural fancies 1 : imagination sense 1 a flight of fancy 2 : liking She took a fancy to her new neighbors. 3 : idea sense 2, notion … Oz had a fancy to make the balloon in different shades of the color about them. L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz fancy 3 of 3 verb fancied; fancying 1 : to have a liking for I've never fancied Halloween. 2 : imagine sense 1 I fancied that I would have married him … Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved fancies 1 of 2 noun plural of fancy 1 as in fantasies a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality a writer with a prodigious talent for creating fancies that captivate readers young and old Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance fantasies dreams daydreams illusions visions delusions unrealities ideas phantasies conceits phantasms hallucinations nightmares pipe dreams figments mirages nonentities fantasms chimeras fictions castles in Spain castles in the air concoctions fables inventions fabrications utopias visualizations brainchildren ignes fatui will-o'-the-wisps cloud-cuckoo-lands daymares cloudlands Shangri-las Antonyms & Near Antonyms facts actualities realities 2 as in whims a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action is this a serious interest in music, or just your latest fancy that will be forgotten after a week? Synonyms & Similar Words whims notions whimsies caprices vagaries thoughts fantasies megrims humors bees maggots pictures vagrancies impressions phantasies freaks cranks kinks whimsicalities whimseys conceits conceptions bees in one's bonnet images concepts inspirations impetuosities brainstorms mind's eyes 3 as in likings positive regard for something now that he's rich he's taken a fancy to expensive sports cars Synonyms & Similar Words likings likes appetites enthusiasms tastes desires cravings thirsts preferences partialities loves relishes tendencies longings passions uses prejudices interests shines love affairs favors inclinations weaknesses biases propensities leanings bents teeth yens palates gustoes Antonyms & Near Antonyms dislikes hatreds distastes disgusts loathings mislikes aversions disinclinations disfavors indifferences apathies See More fancies 2 of 2 verb present tense third-person singular of fancy 1 as in dreams to form a mental picture of try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India Synonyms & Similar Words dreams envisions fantasies pictures sees visions conceives conceits fantasizes imagines plans features contemplates daydreams envisages visualizes images ideates muses hallucinates ponders reflects invents reminisces conjures (up) foresees ruminates manufactures projects concocts stargazes meditates relives prefigures fabricates makes up re-creates 2 as in enjoys to take pleasure in the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown Synonyms & Similar Words enjoys loves likes relishes adores savors savours admires takes to appreciates reveres goes for digs values prefers grooves (on) has a soft spot for revels (in) delights (in) cherishes gets a charge out of treasures worships venerates gets off (on) idolizes prizes gets a kick out of rejoices (in) is partial to devours favors feasts (on) dotes (on) drinks (in) cottons (to) eats (up) indulges (in) wallows (in) luxuriates (in) Antonyms & Near Antonyms hates dislikes detests loathes abhors abominates despises scorns condemns See More
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fancy

verb

noun

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing fancy

Kids Definition

adjective

noun

verb

noun

verb