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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fanciful contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fanciful are chimerical, fantastic, imaginary, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

How does the word chimerical relate to other synonyms for fanciful?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When could fantastic be used to replace fanciful?

The meanings of fantastic and fanciful largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than fanciful?

The synonyms imaginary and fanciful are sometimes interchangeable, but imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

Where would quixotic be a reasonable alternative to fanciful?

The words quixotic and fanciful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

In what contexts can visionary take the place of fanciful?

The words visionary and fanciful can be used in similar contexts, but visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fanciful Graydon, always an aesthete, got the budget to indulge his more fanciful whims. Michael Grynbaum, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025 The result is a contemporary boutique property with a touch of nostalgia, nodding to a time when the mansion halls still hosted fanciful dinner parties and soirees. Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 July 2025 But the fact that Shakespeare wrote about love potions, sleeping potions, and other fanciful elixirs isn’t conclusive evidence. Sam Kelly july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025 Inspired by the fanciful style of Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell, in Barcelona; Saint Phalle worked with a team of collaborators that included her husband, Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, on 22 large-scale concrete sculptures, each representing a mystical figure from the tarot deck. Kin Woo, Vogue, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fanciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanciful
Adjective
  • Sony and Microsoft and the PC world can keep playing the cutting-edge hardware competition while Nintendo luxuriates in its bizarre boutique silo, unbothered, moisturized, in its lane, consistently content with winning its own solo race.
    Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • The pair then embark on a harrowing adventure, with Luke slowly turning into the most bizarre father figure ever.
    Elliott Smith, EW.com, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • An adoption of a fictitious docudrama style, where scenarios are created for the show’s cast, brought in more subpar episodes which many feel didn’t help the cause.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
  • Unsurprisingly, then, scammers are also keen to exploit this by way of fictitious job opportunities through unofficial channels, websites, emails, and text messages.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • Controllable pitching is hard to come by in the big leagues, and the Pirates would be foolish to trade him away after signing him to a big contract.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
  • Any in-depth evaluation would be foolish until Monday, when players don pads and the pass rush speeds McCarthy up even further.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • Is all this merely a sci-fi imaginary consideration?
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • Any other Countdown viewers dig their fingernails into an imaginary steering wheel when this second SUV followed his buddy into this left turn with zero regard for the oncoming white sedan?!
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • Py for the programming language Python, and Theus for Theseus, after the Greek hero who killed the mythical Minotaur.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 21 July 2025
  • The name Siren's Curse comes from the mythical sirens who reside in Lake Erie and lure sailors with their singing.
    Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • In a sit-down interview, Goldberg said the amount of disrespect Gunther had for Goldberg was unreal.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • And, if Mateer and Ott are as-advertised, this could be an unreal year for the Sooners.
    Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Nearly two decades ago, Miley Cyrus took on the persona of fictional superstar Hannah Montana.
    Allison Kiehl, The Tennessean, 30 July 2025
  • The main song Golden has topped the Billboard 100 and together the songs of fictional bands HUNTR/X and Saja Boys have beat a billion streams across Spotify and YouTube.
    Amy Sterling, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanciful. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

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