fancy

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noun

1. The power of the mind to form images: fantasy, imagination, imaginativeness. See real/imaginary, thoughts.
2. An illusory mental image: daydream, dream, fantasy, fiction, figment, illusion, phantasm, phantasma, reverie, vision. See real/imaginary.
3. An impulsive, often illogical turn of mind: bee, boutade, caprice, conceit, freak, humor, impulse, megrim, notion, vagary, whim, whimsy. Idioms: bee in one's bonnet. See thoughts.
4. A desire for a particular thing or activity: liking, mind, pleasure, will. See like/dislike.
5. The passionate affection and desire felt by lovers for each other: amorousness, love, passion, romance. See love/hatred, sex/asexual.

adjective

1. Appealing to fancy: fanciful, fantastic, fantastical, imaginative, whimsical. See plain/fancy.
2. Complexly detailed: complicated, elaborate, intricate. See plain/fancy.
3. Catering to, used by, or admitting only the wealthy or socially superior: exclusive, posh, swank, swanky. Informal ritzy. See plain/fancy.

verb

1. To form mental images of: conceive, envisage, envision, fantasize, image, imagine, picture, see, think, vision, visualize. Informal feature. See thoughts.
2. To find agreeable: like¹, take to. Chiefly British conceit. See like/dislike.

adj

Definition: extravagant, ornamental
Antonyms: plain, unfancy, unornamented

n

Definition: impulse, urge
Antonyms: certainty, conviction

n

Definition: liking, dream
Antonyms: certainty, fact, reality, truth; dislike

v

Definition: love, desire
Antonyms: dislike, hate

fancy, the mind's ability to produce new combinations of images or ideas, usually in a more limited, superficial, or whimsical manner than that achieved by the imagination proper. Before S. T. Coleridge's distinction between the faculties of fancy and imagination, the terms were often synonymous, ‘fancy’ being an abbreviation of ‘fantasy’. Coleridge, in Biographia Literaria (1817), argued that the fancy was merely ‘a mode of memory emancipated from the order of time and space’ and was thus able to combine and reassemble ready‐made images in new spatial and temporal arrangements, but not able to dissolve and unite them in new creations as the imagination could.

Usually a synonym for imagination. Coleridge distinguished between fancy, which involves a mere ability to recombine experiences, and imagination, which can invent and create.

sign description: An OPEN 5-hand has the thumb stroking the chest and coming out in a repeated motion.

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In the name of canary breeds, refers to a special, cultivated show type of bird, rather than the ordinary type. In dog and cat circles, it refers to the entire following of breeders, owners and admirers.

For a list of words related to fancy, see:

• Beautiful, attractive, or well-formed
• Foolishness, Bunkum, and Trifles
• Appealing, Elegant, Neat, Rich, or Fancy
• Love and Romance - fancy: (vb) be attracted to or fond of
• Belief and Conception - fancy: form a conception of; believe without assurance
• Intuition and Imagination - fancy: whim, notion
• Approval, Respect, and Recognition - fancy: (vb) take a liking to, often capriciously

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See words rhyming with "fancy."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Fancy.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - forestille sig, kunne lide, forelske sig i, være stolt af
adj. - fantasi- , fantastisk, broget, kulørt
n. - fantasi, grille, indbildning, forkærlighed, specialitet, smag, hurtigvalse

idioms:

• fancy dress    kostume, karnevalsdragt
• fancy dress ball    karneval, kostumebal
• fancy man    alfons, elsker
• fancy pants    lidt for smart
• take a fancy to    komme til at synes godt om, få smag for
• take one's fancy    fange ens interesse

Nederlands (Dutch)
zin, genegenheid, liefde, hersenschim, gril, fantasie, (kunstzinnige) verbeelding, smaak, groep bewonderaars/ liefhebbers, object van bewondering/ liefhebberij, een oogje hebben op, houden van, zich verbeelden, menen, fokken met aandacht voor bepaalde punten, hoge dunk hebben, zin hebben in, decoratief, grillig, chique, indrukwekkend, gefokt voor de sier (plant/dier), extravagant, veelkleurigminnaar van een vrouw, pooier zin hebben in

Français (French)
v. tr. - avoir envie de, taper dans l'÷il, voir gagnant, avoir des vues sur, s'imaginer
adj. - sophistiqué, compliqué, d'agrément, snobinard
n. - imagination, chose imaginaire, fantaisie, caprice

idioms:

• fancy dress    travesti, déguisement
• fancy dress ball    bal costumé
• fancy man    amant, jules
• fancy pants    trop élégant
• take a fancy to    prendre (qn) en affection, prendre goût (à qch)
• take one's fancy    comme l'idée lui prend/lui chante

Deutsch (German)
v. - ein Auge werfen auf, sich einbilden, sich vorstellen, gern haben, Lust haben auf
n. - Laune, Eingebung, Gefallen, Phantasie, Einbildung
adj. - Phantasie-, kunstvoll, ausgefallen, feinst

idioms:

• fancy dress    Maskenkostüm
• fancy dress ball    Kostümball
• fancy man    Liebhaber, Zuhälter
• fancy pants    Kostümhosen
• take a fancy to    jmdm. gefallen
• take one's fancy    jmdn. reizen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - φαντάζομαι, υποθέτω, έχω την εντύπωση, μου αρέσει, κάνω κέφι
n. - συμπάθεια, φαντασία, καπρίτσιο
adj. - φανταχτερός, λουσάτος, φαντεζί, πλουμιστός, φανταστικός

idioms:

• fancy dress    αποκριάτικα ρούχα, μεταμφίεση
• fancy dress ball    χορός μεταμφιεσμένων
• fancy man    γυναικάς, νταβατζής
• fancy pants    γυναικάς
• take a fancy to    ερωτεύομαι, αρχίζει να μου αρέσει
• take one's fancy    μου αρέσει

Italiano (Italian)
avere una cotta per, immaginarsi, figurarsi, aver voglia di, gradire, piacere, voglia, chimera, capriccio, fantasia, ornamentale, elegante, vistoso

idioms:

• fancy dress    costume, vestito elegante
• take a fancy    impazzire per
• take/tickle one's fancy    incapricciarsi

Português (Portuguese)
v. - gostar, imaginar
n. - ilusão (f), preferência (f)
adj. - fantasioso, elegante

idioms:

• fancy dress    fantasia (roupa)
• fancy man    amante
• take a fancy    gostar de

Русский (Russian)
воображать, напрасно надеяться, вообразите только!, подумать только!, фантазия, склонность, иллюзия, непомерная (цена)

idioms:

• fancy dress    маскарадный костюм
• fancy man    милый богатой женщины, сутенер
• take a fancy    увлечься
• take/tickle one's fancy    понравиться

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - gustar, apetecer, imaginarse, figurarse, imaginar, poner los ojos en
adj. - de adorno, de fantasía, de imitación
n. - afición, quimera, ilusión, capricho, antojo, fantasía, imaginación

idioms:

• fancy dress    disfraz, traje de capricho
• fancy dress ball    baile de disfraces
• fancy man    chulo, amante, querido
• fancy pants    demasiado elegante o refinado
• take a fancy to    tomar cariño a alguien, encapricharse por, antojársele, tomar afición a algo
• take one's fancy    caer en gracia, resultar atractivo

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - föreställa sig, inbilla sig, vara stolt över, vara förtjust i, odla (för att få fram vissa egenskaper)
n. - fantasi, föreställning, infall, böjelse, omdöme, uppfödning
adj. - mönstrat, stiligt, mångfärgat

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
想象, 相信, 设想, 想像的, 新奇的, 精美的, 想象力, 喜好, 幻想

idioms:

• fancy dress    化装舞会所穿着的服装
• fancy dress ball    化装舞会, 假面舞会
• fancy man    靠女人养的汉子, 情郎, 吃软饭者
• fancy pants    摆架子的人, 女人气的男人, 花花公子
• take a fancy to    爱上
• take one's fancy    迎合某人的爱好

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 想象, 相信, 設想
adj. - 想像的, 新奇的, 精美的
n. - 想象力, 喜好, 幻想

idioms:

• fancy dress    化裝舞會所穿著的服裝
• fancy dress ball    化裝舞會, 假面舞會
• fancy man    靠女人養的漢子, 情郎, 吃軟飯者
• fancy pants    擺架子的人, 女人氣的男人, 花花公子
• take a fancy to    愛上
• take one's fancy    迎合某人的愛好

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - ~공상하다, ~을 좋아하다
adj. - 기호에 맞는, 복잡한, 장신구를 다루는
n. - 공상 , 취미

idioms:

• take a fancy to    ~이 좋아지다
• take one's fancy    ~에게 나타나다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 空想, 考え, 好み, 空想力, 気まぐれ, 道楽
adj. - 装飾的な, はでな, 空想的な, 法外な, 高級な, 珍種の, 変わり種の, 空想の
v. - 想像する, 思う, 好む

idioms:

• fancy dress    仮装服, 一風変わった服
• fancy dress ball    仮装舞踏会
• fancy man    愛人, ひも, 賭け事をする人
• fancy pants    気取った男, めめしい男の子, 弱虫
• take a fancy    好きである
• take/tickle one's fancy    気に入る

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحب , يتخيل , يتوهم (الاسم) ميل , حب , ولع , وهم (صفه) خيالي , ممتاز , بارع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮תיאר לעצמו, העלה בדמיונו, האמין, חשב, אהב, חיבב‬
adj. - ‮דמיוני, מקושט, לא רגיל‬
n. - ‮משיכה, כמיהה, דמיון‬

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