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
Phil Hay, The Athletic, 23 July 2024
Post-Pizzagate, everything is Pizzagate; post-Serial, everyone fancies themselves an uncut investigative gem.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2024
There is a kind of fascinating mystery about subliminal messaging that tends to be quite intriguing and catches our fancy.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Lots of fancy restaurants, Lots of booze, lots of Instagram photos of expensive meals.
—Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fancy 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Who to watch at Olympics (Sean M Haffey/Getty Images)
Football at the Olympic Games gets going in the next 48 hours and both squads from the United States should fancy their chances.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 23 July 2024
Post-Pizzagate, everything is Pizzagate; post-Serial, everyone fancies themselves an uncut investigative gem.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
Noun
Choices That Sour With Age While some designers may be willing to indulge clients’ flash-in-the-pan decorating fancies, others are eager to celebrate the old-faithfuls in their upcoming projects.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2024
There is a kind of fascinating mystery about subliminal messaging that tends to be quite intriguing and catches our fancy.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Nvidia’s latest customer will use its fancy new chip to build an ultra-powerful AI supercomputer.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Lots of fancy restaurants, Lots of booze, lots of Instagram photos of expensive meals.
—Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fancy
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 1 Dec. 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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