fantasize

American  

[fan-tuh-sahyz] / ˈfæn təˌsaɪz /

especially British, fantasise or phantasize

verb (used without object)

fantasized, fantasizing

1. to conceive fanciful or extravagant notions, ideas, suppositions, or the like (often followed byabout ).

   to fantasize about the ideal job.

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verb (used with object)

fantasized, fantasizing

1. to create in one's fancy, daydreams, or the like; imagine.

   to fantasize a trip through space.

fantasize British  

/ ˈfæntəˌsaɪz /

verb

1. to conceive extravagant or whimsical ideas, images, etc

2. (intr) to conceive pleasant or satisfying mental images

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Other Word Forms

• fantasizer noun

Etymology

Origin of fantasize

First recorded in 1925–30; fantas(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

Between sets on stage, the two would often take breaks to fantasize about fame.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

“If I did nothing but eat and lift for six months,” a football fan might fantasize, “I could be a walk-on at the next Jets training camp.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The sort of clever monologue we fantasize in the shower about delivering to someone who makes a hobby out of treating us like crap.

From Salon • May 27, 2025

Still, he says he didn’t fantasize about becoming a professional musician.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

I was hoping to get sent to a corner, where I could fantasize about a grand Cinderella wedding with Jonathan Rodriquez as my groom.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Related Words

• daydream
• hallucinate