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
In the early 1920s, tens of thousands of people across the United States, many of whom had never set foot in Florida, made down payments on unbuilt lots in the Sunshine State, lured in by fanciful brochures and fast-talking salespeople.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Its cream background is overlaid with fanciful doodles of oranges, farfalle pasta, wine, playing cards, and other feel-good finds that emphasize the beauty found in the ordinary.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 12 Apr. 2025
The structure was drafted by a stage designer before being realized by an architect, a choice that’s reflected in some of its fanciful elements (some of which contemporary architects dismissed as kitsch) like frescoes, Romanesque arches, Gothic delicacy and whiffs of Art Nouveau foreshadowing.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The fanciful tea shop also sells gourmet teas, live plants, and decoratives, like antique bird cages, wall art, and vintage tea pots.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
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Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Its cream background is overlaid with fanciful doodles of oranges, farfalle pasta, wine, playing cards, and other feel-good finds that emphasize the beauty found in the ordinary.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 12 Apr. 2025
The structure was drafted by a stage designer before being realized by an architect, a choice that’s reflected in some of its fanciful elements (some of which contemporary architects dismissed as kitsch) like frescoes, Romanesque arches, Gothic delicacy and whiffs of Art Nouveau foreshadowing.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The fanciful tea shop also sells gourmet teas, live plants, and decoratives, like antique bird cages, wall art, and vintage tea pots.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 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 29 Apr. 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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