fancier
Americannoun
-
a person having a liking for or interest in something; enthusiast.
a fancier of sports cars.
-
a person who breeds animals, plants, etc., especially in order to improve the strain.
a horse fancier.
noun
-
a person with a special interest in something
-
a person who breeds plants or animals, often as a pastime
a bird fancier
Etymology
Origin of fancier
Explanation
Someone crazy about something can be called a fancier. If you join a club to promote the well-being of pheasants, someone might describe you as "a pheasant fancier." That just means you like pheasants a lot. The word fancier can refer to someone who fancies (or really likes) something — such as dogs or wine or chocolate. It can also be used to describe someone who breeds a particular animal, with the intent of improving the breed. Make sure you don’t confuse this word with the adjective fancy, which has a comparative form that is also spelled “fancier.” That fancier would be used in the sense of “more ornamental” or “more extravagant” — as in "My prom dress is fancier than yours."
Vocabulary lists containing fancier
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (A-L)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sales of fancier phones mean higher average prices.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
At fancier resorts, like Mammoth Mountain, they can easily climb to more than $200 per day.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025
You can get fancier with trusts, and for that you would want to retain an estate attorney and work out the details to your specifications.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025
His servants’ uniforms are fancier than those of his neighbors.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025
The Winstons’ mailbox was one of the fancier ones on the block.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
