fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl 
1
: marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
2
: existing in fancy (see fancy entry 2) only
a fanciful notion
the falsehoods about some fanciful secret treaties—
F. D. Roosevelt
F. D. Roosevelt3
: marked by or as if by fancy or whim
gave their children fanciful names
Synonyms
Examples of fanciful in a Sentence
a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods
They gave all their children fanciful names.
Recent Examples on the Web
Also lost were performance posters, a bust of Schoenberg and ephemera such as the fanciful playing card sets the composer designed.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Dress up dapper because moody Francis Hall is sophisticated, intimate and crafting fanciful sips.
KILN
Location: Hotel Heron: 699 Prince St, Alexandria, VA 22314
For Saturday dinner, visit KILN, which just so happens to be the ground-floor restaurant at the hotel.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, extensive brunch, spa, gym Editor’s Tip: Don’t miss brunch, a fanciful affair offering the best spread in Buenos Aires.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025
Popular on Variety The eight stories include such fanciful characters and perspectives as a hard-of-hearing genie, parental pirates, dogs on the make and even the Elephant Man, ostensibly linked by characters finding unexpected connections.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
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Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Dress up dapper because moody Francis Hall is sophisticated, intimate and crafting fanciful sips.
KILN
Location: Hotel Heron: 699 Prince St, Alexandria, VA 22314
For Saturday dinner, visit KILN, which just so happens to be the ground-floor restaurant at the hotel.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, extensive brunch, spa, gym Editor’s Tip: Don’t miss brunch, a fanciful affair offering the best spread in Buenos Aires.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025
Popular on Variety The eight stories include such fanciful characters and perspectives as a hard-of-hearing genie, parental pirates, dogs on the make and even the Elephant Man, ostensibly linked by characters finding unexpected connections.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fanciful
Dictionary Entries Near fanciful
Cite this Entry
“Fanciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fanciful. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fanciful
adjective
fan·ci·ful
ˈfan(t)-si-fəl
1
: having or showing free imagination rather than reason
a fanciful person
a fanciful tale
2
: existing in fancy only
a fanciful notion
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