1
as in bizarre
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
she harbors the fanciful notion that she has a talent for singing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mythic
not real and existing only in the imagination
the fanciful creatures that J.R.R. Tolkien created for his Middle Earth novels
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fanciful
Retreat a little over a week and all that would have felt nothing more than a fanciful dream.
—
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2025
At first glance, these styles can appear more fanciful than everyday, but there’s a way to combine the runway and the routine.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 28 May 2025
The splendid design was a bit of a departure from the many fanciful gowns that are typically taken for a spin in Cannes during this time of year.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 16 May 2025
The exposed brick walls are freshly painted ecru, and new oversize picture windows splash sunlight onto the furniture, like a 1950s coffee table with fanciful Jacques Blin tiles on top and some inevitable scuffs on its wood legs ($8,200).
—Craig Kellogg Ashok Sinha, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2025
At first glance, these styles can appear more fanciful than everyday, but there’s a way to combine the runway and the routine.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 28 May 2025
The splendid design was a bit of a departure from the many fanciful gowns that are typically taken for a spin in Cannes during this time of year.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 16 May 2025
The exposed brick walls are freshly painted ecru, and new oversize picture windows splash sunlight onto the furniture, like a 1950s coffee table with fanciful Jacques Blin tiles on top and some inevitable scuffs on its wood legs ($8,200).
—Craig Kellogg Ashok Sinha, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
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The bizarre blackouts are first explained with a bizarre hit-and-run that shook Larkin months earlier.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 June 2025
-
To some, this may sound bizarre, laughable, or even just plain sad.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s the undercurrent of politics stirring animus between the neighbors, with Canadians angered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his absurd aside saying perhaps Canada should be the 51st U.S. state.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
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The concept itself is absurd, given the modest park features.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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That’s the assessment in Ari Aster’s Eddington, which views that collective national trauma through the microcosm of a fictitious New Mexico small town.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
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The trials and tribulations of the fictitious protagonist, however, have precedents.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Kent can often just look foolish onstage, sitting there idling.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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To write off the Israeli leader would be foolish, especially with new elections not required until late 2026.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But what were his motivations for the sculptural cut that reduced the body by a third, literally disabling all of the fetish’s functions except for those of its primary feature, the design, thereby intensifying it, endowing it even with an imaginary, almost futuristic acceleration?—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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Dairy farmers should not be the villains in an imaginary climate change narrative - they should be respected as part of the backbone of our state's rural economy and heritage.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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And as one dad recently shared on Reddit, the days of explaining things with talk of storks or other mythical tales are likely over.—
Christian Dashiell,
Parents,
7 June 2025
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Acceptance means acknowledging that zero-failure AI systems are mythical.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Your support has been unreal all season… — Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) May 29, 2025 The season came to a disappointing end in a 4-1 series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, but these Timberwolves have redefined what qualifies as disappointment.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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The company’s Data Center division brought in an almost unreal $39.1 billion in the first quarter, up 10% from the previous quarter and up 73% from a year ago.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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The film takes place in 2020 — yes, that 2020 — in the most visceral way, with the anti-mask local sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) of the fictional Eddington, New Mexico, facing off against the town’s COVID-guideline-advocate mayor, played by Pedro Pascal (the second of his three summer releases).—
Rance Collins,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
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Standing in for the Duke of Hastings’ fictional Clyvedon Castle in season one, this real-life Baroque masterpiece is located in North Yorkshire, England, and has been in the Howard family for more than three centuries.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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