# flight of fancy

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/flight-of-fancy
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc., which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

## Examples

- His plan to build a house on the moon is just a flight of fancy.
- The architect dismissed the client's request for a floating garden as a mere flight of fancy that ignored basic physics.
- While the proposal was initially dismissed as a flight of fancy, the researchers eventually discovered that the imaginative concept held a kernel of scientific truth.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.