fan·cy
ˈfan(t)-sē 
fancied; fancying
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
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.
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)
6
a
: devotees of some particular art, practice, or amusement
b
: the object of interest of such a fancy
especially
: boxing entry 1
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
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
Examples of fancy in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2024
Both teams have a point to prove and will fancy their chances of taking points from this one.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
Ebony-Renee Baker, refinery29.com, 12 Sep. 2024
If one of those trails doesn’t catch your fancy, there are plenty more.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2024
Claire Therese Hemingway, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2024
Cruise concluded his introduction by sharing his personal excitement about watching the movie under such fancy, pristine conditions.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fancy 
Verb
Americans, particularly liberal ones, may fancy themselves as tolerant enough to avoid acting on ethnic biases.
—Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2024
Both teams have a point to prove and will fancy their chances of taking points from this one.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
Noun
Fast forward to now, and retailers like Mango, Kitri, Zara and Massimo Dutti have followed suit with plenty of pieces in the shade to take your autumn fancy.
—Ebony-Renee Baker, refinery29.com, 12 Sep. 2024
If one of those trails doesn’t catch your fancy, there are plenty more.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2024
Adjective
For instance, a person may expect an expensive bottle of wine with a fancy French label to be better than a cheap, generic-looking one.
—Claire Therese Hemingway, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2024
Cruise concluded his introduction by sharing his personal excitement about watching the movie under such fancy, pristine conditions.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fancy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to fancy
Dictionary Entries Near fancy
Cite this Entry
“Fancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fancy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fancy
2 of 3 noun
fan·cy
ˈfan(t)-sē
plural fancies
fancy
3 of 3 adjective
fancier; fanciest
1
: based on fancy : unpredictable
2
a
: not plain : ornamental
b
: of particular excellence
c
: bred especially for a showy appearance
a fancy goldfish
3
: done with great skill and grace
fancy footwork
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