Definition of FANCY

fancy

Plural: fancies

Noun

  • something many people believe that is false
  • a kind of imagination that was held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than true imagination
  • a predisposition to like something
  • The imagination.
  • An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.
  • An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.
  • A whim.
  • Love or amorous attachment.
  • The object of inclination or liking.
  • Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
  • The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
  • A diamond with a distinctive colour.
  • That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
  • A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
  • A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
  • In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
  • A colored neckerchief worn at prizefights to show support for a contender.

Verb

Verb Forms: fancied, fancying, fancies

  • To feel a desire or liking for; to imagine.
  • imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind
  • have a fancy or particular liking or desire for
  • To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
  • Would like; have a desire for.
  • To be sexually, aesthetically or romantically attracted to.
  • To imagine, suppose.
  • To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.
  • To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
  • To breed (animals) as a hobby.

Adjective

  • Elaborate in structure or decoration; ornamental.
  • not plain; decorative or ornamented
    • "fancy handwriting"
    • "fancy clothes"

Adj

  • Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones.
  • Of a superior grade.
  • Executed with skill.
  • Unnecessarily complicated.
  • Extravagant; above real value.

Adv

  • In a fancy manner; fancily.

Examples

  • [dated] I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
  • Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
  • Fancy meeting you here!
  • Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.
  • He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.
  • He initiated the game-winning play with a fancy deked saucer pass to the winger.
  • He took a fancy to her.
  • I fancy a burger tonight for dinner.
  • I fancy my chances of winning after placing this triple-word score in Words With Friends.
  • I fancy that girl over there.
  • I fancy this is an error.
  • I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
  • I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
  • I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
  • the cat fancy
  • the yellow fancy; the cream fancy; the blood-red fancy
  • This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
  • This is a fancy shawl.
  • Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
  • While a fancy word might look good, it’s the points that count in Scrabble.
  • You won't get the gig just because you fancy yourself a musician.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.

Antonyms

plain, simple

Scrabble Score: 13

fancy: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
fancy: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
fancy: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

fancy: valid Words With Friends Word