as in imagining
to form a mental picture of
all those lottery players fantasizing themselves as living in extravagant luxury
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Recent Examples of fantasizing
Hedda’s romantic picture — of Lovborg dying magnificently, with Dionysian vine leaves in his hairs, from a bullet of one of her own guns — smacks of the same literary cliches that has Emma fantasizing about a torchlight wedding at midnight.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
When her daughter was born in December, Ivanova called her Yustyna – the name the couple picked together when fantasizing about having children.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Storylines like this, in our age of escalating eat-the-rich sentiment, allow viewers to vicariously enjoy beautiful homes and high-maintenance bodies while also fantasizing about (or, for more comfortable audiences, safely exploring fears of) class warfare.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
But what was more interesting to me are those who aren’t fantasizing about being in a fictional world, but who are fantasizing about being a different reader, in a more secure nonfictional world.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
The irony here is that many in Washington have been openly fantasizing about how advanced AI systems could revolutionize military strategy and reshape geopolitics—to such an extent that this speculation has fueled a kind of arms race with China.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Civility ⬇ Virginia's Jay Jones sent texts fantasizing about shooting a Republican opponent, then won his race for attorney general.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
When her daughter was born in December, Ivanova called her Yustyna – the name the couple picked together when fantasizing about having children.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Storylines like this, in our age of escalating eat-the-rich sentiment, allow viewers to vicariously enjoy beautiful homes and high-maintenance bodies while also fantasizing about (or, for more comfortable audiences, safely exploring fears of) class warfare.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
But what was more interesting to me are those who aren’t fantasizing about being in a fictional world, but who are fantasizing about being a different reader, in a more secure nonfictional world.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
The irony here is that many in Washington have been openly fantasizing about how advanced AI systems could revolutionize military strategy and reshape geopolitics—to such an extent that this speculation has fueled a kind of arms race with China.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Civility ⬇ Virginia's Jay Jones sent texts fantasizing about shooting a Republican opponent, then won his race for attorney general.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasizing
Verb
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Unlike pessimism, which helps humans survive by imagining worst-case scenarios, optimism can more effectively solve problems in the modern world, says behavioral scientist and psychologist Deepika Chopra.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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Reading Tóibín draws me back to my own roots, imagining my paternal great grandmother traveling by ship from Cork to Galveston, and stepping onto this massive continent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All of which leads one to wonder, what is Griffin really envisioning for his final act?—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Cubs aren’t envisioning fully using Suzuki as the DH to get him back quicker.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So, like many Americans, the Bears were dreaming of a home of their own.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Reiter presents dreaming as a possibility, not a conclusion.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Being embedded meant slowing down, listening, and understanding the genealogy of the triennial itself—seeing HT25 not as a rupture, but as part of an ongoing continuum.—
Wassan Al-Khudhairi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At night, Martinez lay awake picturing an agent in the middle of the road raising his gun.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The trio created fake Minnesota temporary drivers’ licenses using false names, with each license picturing one of the Thomases, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fantasizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasizing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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