fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 
1
: marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
2
: existing in fancy (see fancy entry 2) only
a fanciful notion
the falsehoods about some fanciful secret treaties—
F. D. Roosevelt
F. D. Roosevelt3
: marked by or as if by fancy or whim
gave their children fanciful names
Examples of fanciful in a Sentence
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
They gave all their children fanciful names.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wild, fanciful murals are everywhere—on the bicycle shop, a parking lot, the patios of bars-mixed in with a totally eclectic mix of bookstores, galleries, cafes for coffee and multinational cuisines and a marijuana shop.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Fairy Garden Accessories Let your imagination loose to repurpose wine corks in all sorts of fanciful ways for fairy gardens.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2025
Sharon and the staff want Ozzy’s feelings about the design of the Ozzfest stage, which this year is a fanciful depiction of hell.
—Erik Hedegaard, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
Unique details abound in the firm’s projects, from fanciful ironwork to bold wall treatments to unexpected color palettes, and the team isn’t afraid to push clients out of their comfort zones.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
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Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Fairy Garden Accessories Let your imagination loose to repurpose wine corks in all sorts of fanciful ways for fairy gardens.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2025
Sharon and the staff want Ozzy’s feelings about the design of the Ozzfest stage, which this year is a fanciful depiction of hell.
—Erik Hedegaard, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2025
Unique details abound in the firm’s projects, from fanciful ironwork to bold wall treatments to unexpected color palettes, and the team isn’t afraid to push clients out of their comfort zones.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fanciful. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl
1
: having or showing free imagination rather than reason
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale
2
: existing in fancy only
a fanciful notion
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