Fanciful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈfan(t)-si-fəl/ fan·ci·ful

Meaning & Definition of Fanciful

Fanciful (adjective)

  1. marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience
  2. existing in fancy only
  3. marked by or as if by fancy or whim

Fanciful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. conceived or made without regard for reason or reality

    "she harbors the fanciful notion that she has a talent for singing"

    similar: absurd, bizarre, crazy, fantastic, foolish, insane, nonsensical, preposterous, unreal, wild, off the wall (slang)
    related: implausible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unthinkable, extravagant, grotesque, bizarro, curious, eccentric, far-out, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, farcical, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, Alice-in-Wonderland, Kafkaesque, nightmarish, dreamlike, surreal
    opposite: realistic, reasonable

  2. not real and existing only in the imagination

    "the fanciful creatures that J.R.R. Tolkien created for his Middle Earth novels"

    similar: chimerical, fabulous, fantasied, fantastic, fictional, fictitious, ideal, imaginal, imaginary, imagined, invented, made-up, make-believe, mythical, notional, phantasmal, phantasmic, phantom, pretend, unreal, visionary
    related: fabled, legendary, romantic, abstract, hypothetical, theoretical, unbelievable, unconvincing, unlikely, conceived, envisaged, envisioned, pictured, visualized, daydreamlike, deceptive, delusional, delusive, hallucinatory, illusory, phantasmagoric, concocted, fabricated, feigned, fictive, inexistent, nonexistent
    opposite: actual, existent, existing, real
    near: authentic, genuine, true, factual, verifiable, verified, believable, convincing, realistic, corporeal, material, physical, solid, substantial, palpable, tangible

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fanciful

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fanciful:

Slang: off the wall
absurd, bizarre, crazy, fantastic, foolish, insane, nonsensical, preposterous, unreal, wild, chimerical, fabulous, fantasied, fictional, fictitious, ideal, imaginal, imaginary, imagined, invented, made-up, make-believe, mythical, notional, phantasmal, phantasmic, phantom, pretend, visionary

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fanciful

Words with the opposite meaning of Fanciful:

realistic, reasonable, actual, existent, existing, real

Related Words for Fanciful

implausible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unthinkable, extravagant, grotesque, bizarro, curious, eccentric, far-out, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, farcical

Near Antonyms of Fanciful

authentic, genuine, true, factual, verifiable, verified, believable, convincing, corporeal, material, physical, solid, substantial, palpable, tangible

Word Forms of Fanciful

Derived words: fancifully (adverb), fancifulness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Fanciful

fancy:2 + -ful:1

First known use: circa 1627

Frequently Asked Questions about Fanciful

What does "Fanciful" mean?

"Fanciful" means marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience. As an adjective, it is defined as: marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fanciful"?

Other words for "Fanciful" include absurd, bizarre, crazy, fantastic, foolish, insane, nonsensical and preposterous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fanciful" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fanciful"?

There are 94 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fanciful". Common alternatives include absurd, bizarre, crazy, fantastic, foolish, insane, nonsensical, preposterous, unreal and wild.

What is the opposite of "Fanciful"?

Antonyms of "Fanciful" include realistic, reasonable, actual, existent, existing and real. Near antonyms include authentic, genuine, true and factual.

How do you use "Fanciful" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fanciful" in a sentence: "she harbors the fanciful notion that she has a talent for singing"; "the fanciful creatures that J.R.R. Tolkien created for his Middle Earth novels".

Is "Fanciful" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fanciful" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Fanciful"?

"Fanciful" is pronounced /ˈfan(t)-si-fəl/ and divided into syllables as fan·ci·ful.

What is the origin of the word "Fanciful"?

"Fanciful" comes from fancy:2 + -ful:1. First known use: circa 1627.