fanciful

[ fan-si-fuhl ]

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.

   Synonyms: illusory, baseless, visionary

3. led by fancy rather than by reason and experience; whimsical:

   a fanciful mind.

fanciful

/ ˈfænsɪfʊl /

adjective

1. not based on fact; dubious or imaginary

   fanciful notions

2. made or designed in a curious, intricate, or imaginative way
3. indulging in or influenced by fancy; whimsical

Derived Forms

• ˈfancifully, adverb
• ˈfancifulness, noun

Other Words From

• 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fanciful¹

First recorded in 1620–30; fancy + -ful

Example Sentences

He gathered fanciful and downright utopian artists and thinkers suggesting a path forward.

From Los Angeles Times

In this rosy way of thinking, Trump won’t ever stand for election again and has a legacy to consider — a fanciful notion that is plainly a triumph of hope over experience.

From Los Angeles Times

Talk of the Golden Boot might have been fanciful at the start of the season but Wood is currently in that bracket.

From BBC

He added the suggestion police should not have spoken about the case was "fanciful".

From BBC

Local artists say it is just a fanciful mashup of animal images, including a bear and bighorn sheep — with wings in the rainbow colors of the Pride flag.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absurd
• bizarre
• extravagant
• fantastic
• fantastical
• fictional
• imaginative
• offbeat
• preposterous
• unreal
• whimsical