Fanciful
/ˈfæn.sɪ.fəl/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Fanciful means something that comes from the imagination and is not real or practical. It often describes ideas, stories, or plans that are creative but not likely to happen or true. It can also mean something that looks unusual or decorative in a playful way.
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See It in Action
Imaginative and not realistic or practical
- •She had a fanciful idea about flying cars in the future.
- •His plans for a city on the moon sounded fanciful to most people.
- •The story was too fanciful to be true.
Decorative or unusual in a playful or artistic way
- •The garden had fanciful sculptures of animals and fairies.
- •She wore a fanciful hat decorated with feathers and flowers.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "fanciful" like "fun" or "imagine," but more serious—it's about making up things in your mind that are not real.
- ✓Picture a colorful fairy tale castle with unusual shapes and bright colors—something you imagine, not see in real life.
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you daydream about magical worlds or impossible adventures.
- ✓Sounds like "FAN-see-full" → imagine a fan blowing colorful, imaginary ideas into the air.
- ✓Think of stories like "Alice in Wonderland," where things are strange and magical, not normal or real.
- ✓NOT like "realistic" (based on facts)—fanciful is based on imagination or fantasy.
- ✓NOT like "simple" or "plain"—fanciful ideas are often complex and decorated with creative details.
- ✓NOT like "practical" (useful and possible)—fanciful may be impossible or not useful in real life.
Try Other Words
- •Fantastical: very strange and imaginary (Use when emphasizing magical or unreal qualities)
- •Whimsical: playfully unusual or funny (Use when describing light, playful creativity)
- •Unrealistic: not likely to happen or true (Use when focusing on the impractical or impossible side)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "fancy" (imagination, liking) + suffix "-ful" (full of)
- •Etymology: From the word "fancy," which means imagination or liking, plus "-ful" meaning "full of," so "full of imagination"
- •Historical development: Originally meant full of imagination or liking, later used to describe things not real or practical
- •Modern usage: Used to describe ideas, stories, or things that are imaginative, decorative, or not based on reality
Reflect & Connect
•How do fanciful ideas help people in art or storytelling?
•Can fanciful thinking be useful in real life, or is it always just for fun?
Fill in the blanks
1.His fanciful idea about ___ flying cars made everyone smile but doubt it would happen soon.
2.The fanciful decorations in the room made it look like a ___ from a fairy tale.
3.Unlike realistic plans, fanciful ones are often ___ to happen or be true.
4.She wore a fanciful hat ___ with bright feathers and flowers.
5.When people say a story is fanciful, they mean it is mostly ___ and not based on facts.
6.Fanciful thinking can sometimes help ___ new inventions by imagining what could be possible.
7.The artist’s fanciful paintings showed strange creatures that could not ___ in real life.