fancy

Fancy is defined as a whim, a mental image or a playful imagination.

(noun)

An example of fancy is a child imagining herself a queen and pretending her family members are her royal subjects.

The definition of fancy is someone or something that is extravagant, elaborate, extremely skillful or graded as extremely high quality.

(adjective)

  1. An example of fancy is Zsa Zsa Gabor's fashion sense.
  2. An example of fancy is Gene Kelly's dance skills.
  3. An example of fancy are canned fruits of superior size and appearance.

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See fancy in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. fancies

  1. imagination, now esp. light, playful, or whimsical imagination
  2. illusion or delusion
  3. a mental image
  4. an arbitrary idea; notion; caprice; whim
  5. an inclination, liking, or fondness, often transient: to take a fancy to someone
  6. Rare critical taste or judgment in art, dress, etc.

Origin: ME fantsy, contr. < fantasie: see fantasy

adjective fancier, fanciest

  1. based on fancy; capricious; whimsical; fanciful
  2. higher than real value; extravagant: a fancy price
  3. made or added to please the fancy; ornamental; decorated; not plain; elaborate: a fancy necktie
  4. of superior skill; intricate and difficult: fancy diving
  5. of superior quality, and therefore more expensive: canned goods graded fancy
  6. bred for some special feature or excellence of type: said of animals

transitive verb fancied, fancying

  1. to form an idea of; imagine
  2. to have a liking for; be fond of: to fancy rich desserts
  3. to believe something without being sure; suppose: they are, I fancy, still friends

Related Forms:

See fancy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. fan·cies
  1. The mental faculty through which whims, visions, and fantasies are summoned up; imagination, especially of a whimsical or fantastic nature. See Synonyms at imagination.
  2. An image or a fantastic invention created by the mind.
  3. A capricious notion; a whim.
  4. A capricious liking or inclination.
  5. Critical sensibility; taste.
  6. Amorous or romantic attachment; love.
  7. a. The enthusiasts or fans of a sport or pursuit considered as a group.
    b. The sport or pursuit, such as boxing, engaging the interest of such a group.
adjective fan·ci·er, fan·ci·est
  1. Highly decorated: a fancy hat.
  2. Arising in the fancy; capricious.
  3. Executed with skill; complex or intricate: the fancy footwork of a figure skater.
  4. Of superior grade; fine: fancy preserves.
  5. Excessive or exorbitant: paid a fancy price for the car.
  6. Bred for unusual qualities or special points.
transitive verb fan·cied, fan·cy·ing, fan·cies
  1. To visualize; imagine: “She tried to fancy what the flame of a candle looks like after the candle is blown out” (Lewis Carroll).
  2. To take a fancy to; like.
  3. To suppose; guess.

Origin:

Origin: From Middle English fantsy, imagination, fantasy

Origin: , from fantasie; see fantasy

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Related Forms:

  • fanˈci·ly adverb
  • fanˈci·ness noun

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