fancy.
The imagination.
Meaning & usage
The imagination.
An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.
An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.
A whim.
I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
Love or amorous attachment.
Liking.
He took a fancy to the goods in the window.
The object of inclination or liking.
Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
the cat fancy
The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.
A diamond with a distinctive colour.
That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
A colored neckerchief worn at prizefights to show support for a contender.
the yellow fancy; the cream fancy; the blood-red fancy
Where this word comes from
From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.
Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones.
This is a fancy shawl.
Of a superior grade.
This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
Executed with skill.
He initiated the game-winning play with a fancy deked saucer pass to the winger.
It took some fancy footwork to make it happen.
Unnecessarily complicated.
I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
Extravagant; above real value.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.
In a fancy manner; fancily.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.
To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
Would like; have a desire for.
I fancy a burger tonight for dinner.
Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
To be sexually, aesthetically or romantically attracted to.
I fancy that girl over there.
To imagine, suppose.
[dated] I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
I fancy this is an error.
To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.
To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
To breed (animals) as a hobby.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English fancien, fantasien, fantesien, from Old French fantasier, from the noun (see above)).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.