Word Adjective
fanciful
adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈfænsɪfəɫ/ UK /fˈænsɪfəl/ fan·ci·ful
Definition
adj.having or showing a lot of imagination. You use this to describe ideas or stories that are creative but not necessarily realistic.
adj.characterised by or resulting from imagination; not necessarily based on fact or reason. Often used to describe creative or decorative designs that are imaginative rather than practical.
Examples
“The children built a fanciful castle out of cardboard boxes.”
“The architect's fanciful designs for the new library included floating glass bridges and curved walls.”
“While the plot of the novel is fanciful, the author's descriptions of the local culture are remarkably accurate and grounded in historical research.”
Etymology
From fancy + -ful.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated