What does “fancy” mean?
- 1
adjectiveexpensive, stylish or with a lot of decoration
They had dinner at a fancy restaurant downtown.
- 2
verbto want something or be attracted to someone, mainly in British English
Do you fancy a coffee?
- 3
nouna sudden liking or wish, often not serious
He took a fancy to painting after he retired.
Fancy at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective, verb & noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈfænsi/ · FAN-see
- Forms
- fancier, fanciest, fancied
How to use “fancy” correctly
In US English “fancy” is mostly the adjective. The verb “Do you fancy…?” sounds British; Americans say “Do you want…?”.
Common phrases with “fancy”
- fancy restaurant
- take a fancy to
- fancy dress
- nothing fancy
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- plain
- simple
Word family
- fanciful
“fancy” is on these word lists
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