Fancy

Wikipedia

English

Alternative spellings

• fant'sy, Phant'sy (both obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English, a contraction of fantasy, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“‘an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm’”), from Ancient Greek  (phantazein), “‘to render visible’”)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /ˈfæn.si/

• Audio (US)	noicon
  (file)

  Rhymes: -ænsi

Noun

Singular Fancy

Plural fanc

Fancy (fanc)

1. The imagination; an imagined image.

   The film rose from Stephen's fancy.

2. A whim.

   I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.

3. Love or amorous attachment.

   He took a fancy to her.

4. Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.

   Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.

5. The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.

   He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.

Derived terms

Terms derived from fancy (noun)

flight of fancy

tickle someone's fancy

Translations

The imagination; an imagined image

A whim

Finnish: oikku fi(fi), päähänpisto fi(fi)

Love or amorous attachment

Finnish: ihastus fi(fi)

Any sport or hobby pursued by a group

The enthusiasts of such a pursuit

Finnish: harrastajat pl., intoilijat pl.

Adjective

Fancy (comparative fanci, superlative er)

Positive Fancy

Comparative fanci

Superlative er

1. Decorative.

   This is a fancy shawl.

2. Of a superior grade.

   This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.

3. Executed with skill.

   He initiated the game winning play with a fancy, deked saucer pass to the winger.

4. (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.

   I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.

Synonyms

• (decorative): decorative, ornate
• (unnecessarily complicated): high falutin

Antonyms

• (decorative): plain, simple
• (unnecessarily complicated): simple

Translations

decorative

Finnish: koristeellinen

German: ausgefallen de(de)

Of a superior grade

Finnish: hienostunut fi(fi), hieno fi(fi)

Executed with skill

(colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated

Finnish: hieno fi(fi)

Verb

Infinitive to Fancy

Third person singular fanc

Simple past ed

Past participle -

Present participle i

to Fancy (third-person singular simple present fanc, present participle i, simple past and past participle ed)

1. Template:Formal To appreciate without jealousy or greed.

   I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.

2. (British) would like to

   I fancy a burger tonight for dinner

   Do you fancy going to town this weekend?

3. (British, informal) To be sexually attracted to.

   I fancy that girl over there.

4. (dated) To imagine.

   I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey

   Fancy meeting you here!

   Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.

Synonyms

• (be sexually attracted to): like (US)
• (would like to): feel like (US,used only before a verb)

Translations

To imagine

Dutch: zich voorstellen

German: sich vorstellen

To be sexually attracted to

Dutch: zich aangetrokken voelen tot iemand

German: auf (jemanden) stehen

would like to

Finnish: haluta fi(fi) Spanish: tener ganas de, antojarse (Mexico), apetecer (Spain), provocar (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela), tincar (Chile)

See also

• fantasy
• fancy man
• fancy oneself
• fancypants
• fancy woman

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