1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
decided they would rather go without dinner than pay the hotel restaurant's fancy prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detailed
made or done with great care or with much detail
we're having a little get-together after the concert—nothing fancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
a writer with a prodigious talent for creating fancies that captivate readers young and old
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
is this a serious interest in music, or just your latest fancy that will be forgotten after a week?
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3
as in liking
positive regard for something
now that he's rich he's taken a fancy to expensive sports cars
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
to fans of Lewis Carroll, the animal creations of his fertile fancy are as real as any creature to be found at the zoo
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to imagine
to form a mental picture of
try to fancy, if you can, our mother on an elephant when she was touring India
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2
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in
the teacher didn't fancy the idea of failing the student, even if he was the class clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fancy
Maria Aspan, NPR, 17 May 2026
Bundt cakes strike a perfect balance between impressive and unfussy (with no fancy decorating required).
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 17 May 2026
Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That car too would never see the light, but the 10-cylinder heart found its way into a roadster concept car called the Carrera GT—and when the Cayenne proved successful enough to fund such a flight of fancy, the beancounters gave it the green light.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
The place first opened 93 years ago when Jack Fry, a guy who fancied boxing, gambling and horse racing, opened a tavern with his wife, Flossie.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fancy
Adjective
Amid this broader affordability crisis, fancy kitchen countertops might appear to be more of a home-design flourish than a necessity for most Americans.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 17 May 2026
Bundt cakes strike a perfect balance between impressive and unfussy (with no fancy decorating required).
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 17 May 2026
Noun
But recording, touring and promoting the six-time multi-platinum group for the past 40+ years left little time for his childhood fancy.
—Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That car too would never see the light, but the 10-cylinder heart found its way into a roadster concept car called the Carrera GT—and when the Cayenne proved successful enough to fund such a flight of fancy, the beancounters gave it the green light.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
The trend favors the Knicks, who fancy themselves as better than the teams currently ahead of them in the standings.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
The place first opened 93 years ago when Jack Fry, a guy who fancied boxing, gambling and horse racing, opened a tavern with his wife, Flossie.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancy
Adjective
-
The two highest-ranking Republicans in the state legislature called Wednesday for former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart to consider dropping out of the governor’s race over reported excessive spending on the city’s credit card.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
Parents Alexus Benavidez and Rauf Scott of Collin County filed a complaint this month against Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm in Frisco, alleging their 3-year-old son was the victim of excessive physical force that included yanking, spanking and smacking the toddler.—
Lina Ruiz
May 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
While other operators submitted detailed incident summaries to the US regulator, Tesla blacked out every narrative entirely, labeling them as confidential business information.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Hong Kong — For the past three decades, China has been a nation of homeowners — supercharging the world’s second-largest economy and fulfilling the dreams of millions.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
The first dream had vanished within two weeks of his arrival.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The league has conformed to The King’s whims.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
By their very nature, pop-ups are fluid and subject to the whims of weather.—
Sam Flemming,
AJC.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma will certainly not be to everyone’s liking.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
To keep the eggs from overcooking, remove the skillet from the heat just before the eggs are set to your liking.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
By using the language of French wines to write about Southern food, Beard was placing the latter on the same footing that European food held in the American imagination.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Hiba imagined seeing snow for the first time and living in a cold state, such as Ohio.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Now imagine moving millions of items, each of them delicate, unique, priceless and old.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Water aficionados will enjoy the chance to experience the ins and outs of the lake, thanks to five full-service marinas along the twisting shoreline, more than four times the length of Georgia’s Atlantic coast.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
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On Saturday, May 16, International Pickle Day, Smoothie King customers can enjoy a free 4-ounce Pickle Smoothie in stores only while supplies last.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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