# fancies

/ˈfænsiz/ (US) · /fˈænsɪz/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fancies
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

to imagine or believe something is true, even if it might not be. You use this when someone thinks they are better or more important than they really are.

For teachers: to imagine or believe something to be the case, often without a firm basis in reality. In this third-person singular form, it frequently appears in the idiom 'fancies himself/herself' to describe an inflated sense of one's own abilities or status.

## Examples

- He fancies himself a great singer, but he is often off-key.
- She fancies that the neighbors are talking about her, though they rarely even see her.
- The young architect fancies himself the successor to the great modernists, despite having only completed a handful of small residential renovations in the suburbs.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He fancies to be a chef" but "He fancies himself a chef" — When expressing a self-conception, this verb takes a reflexive pronoun and a complement rather than an infinitive.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive; when used to describe self-image, it requires a reflexive pronoun followed by a noun or adjective.

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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.