fanciful

[ fan-si-fuhl ]
See synonyms for fanciful on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. characterized by or showing fancy; capricious or whimsical in appearance: a fanciful design of butterflies and flowers.

  2. suggested by fancy; imaginary; unreal: fanciful lands of romance.

  1. led by fancy rather than by reason and experience; whimsical: a fanciful mind.

Origin of fanciful

1
First recorded in 1620–30; fancy + -ful

Other words for fanciful

Other words from fanciful

  • fan·ci·ful·ly, adverb
  • fan·ci·ful·ness, noun
  • o·ver·fan·ci·ful, adjective
  • o·ver·fan·ci·ful·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·fan·ci·ful·ness, noun
  • un·fan·ci·ful, adjective

Words Nearby fanciful

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How to use fanciful in a sentence

  • Another time she might have smiled at the thought as fanciful: it seemed awfully real now.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • Orellana was very warmly received by armed swift-footed females, which originated the fanciful name Amazonia.

  • Fordun, like his compatriots, colours his narrative deeply with the fanciful glow of Bruce's patriotism.

    King Robert the Bruce | A. F. Murison
  • "Yes," Amy said, selecting a pair of white satin slippers, with high French heels and fanciful rosettes.

    The Cromptons | Mary J. Holmes
  • The jealousy of commerce, however, is as fanciful and unreasonable as the jealousy of love.

British Dictionary definitions for fanciful

fanciful

/ (ˈfænsɪfʊl) /


adjective
  1. not based on fact; dubious or imaginary: fanciful notions

  2. made or designed in a curious, intricate, or imaginative way

  1. indulging in or influenced by fancy; whimsical

Derived forms of fanciful

  • fancifully, adverb
  • fancifulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012