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fancy

fancy

497 2.7
Decorative and not plain, often with many small details
  • adjective
  • /ˈfæn.si/
translation icon : elaborado
  • She wore a fancy dress that sparkled under the lights at the gala.
  • fancy clothes
  • a fancy dress
  • a fancy car

And then you draw this fancy Z like that.

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Examples

  • That was a very fancy shot.

  • Oh, you and your fancy suits and your fancy perfumes.

  • So nothing too crazy, nothing too fancy, but effective.

  • It's in a very fancy place.

  • If we're getting fancy, let's get fancy, OK?

  • This banana was created in a fancy looking house in England.

  • I took a quick shower and put on my one fancy black dress with a pearl necklace.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I would take him somewhere fancy, like Craig's.

  • Boy, that sure is a fancy-lookin' pen you got there.

  • Two investment bankers just showed me their big, fancy watches.

Synonyms

elegant
vsfancy
165 3.3

Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste

is decorative but tends more toward ornamentation than plain refinement
stylish
vsfancy
85 2.0

Clothes or rooms that look fashionable and attractive

is decorative but more about ornamental detail than general fashion
flashy
vsfancy
69 4.1

Very bright or showy in a way that attracts attention

is decorative but usually without the negative, vulgar sense
grandiose
vsfancy
27 7.5

Too big and showy in a way that tries to seem more important than it is

is decorative but less about size and more about ornamentation
ornate
vsfancy
  • Literature
26 7.0

Using long, fancy words and complicated sentences that make writing hard to follow

is decorative but not always so intricately detailed
gaudy
vsfancy
22 5.5

Very bright and showy in a way that looks bad

is decorative but not necessarily garish or tasteless
high-class
vsfancy
20 5.8

Showing elegant, expensive style that makes someone seem richer or more important

is decorative but without the strong social status or pretentious tone
swanky
vsfancy
  • Informal
18 7.4

Very stylish and expensive-looking, like a fancy car or hotel

is decorative but less tied to showing wealth or social status
sumptuous
vsfancy
17 7.5

Very rich and expensive looking, often with beautiful details

is decorative in style but does not always imply luxury
snazzy
vsfancy
  • Informal
15 7.2

Bright and stylish in a way that draws attention

is decorative but less about lively trendiness and more about detail
glitzy
vsfancy
13 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

is decorative but usually implies real ornament, not mere surface glamour
showy
vsfancy
8 3.2

Bright or fancy in a way that draws attention

is decorative but not necessarily meant to draw overt attention
ritzy
vsfancy
  • Informal
7 7.5

Expensive and fashionable, showing that someone has money

is decorative but does not always mean high cost or exclusive luxury
swank
vsfancy
4 7.7

Fashionable and showy in a way that seems rich

is decorative but not focused on fashionability or impressive presentation
florid
vsfancy
  • Formal
3 8.6

Being very decorated and showy in style, often with many small details

is decorative but usually less excessive and more restrained
high-toned
vsfancy
1 8.7

Very fancy in a way that tries to impress people

is decorative but normally without the affected or pretentious attitude
schmancy
vsfancy
  • Informal
1 9.6

Looking expensive or stylish in a showy, joking way

is decorative but usually stated without the mocking or ironic tone
fancy as all get-out
vsfancy
  • Informal
9.9

Looks very expensive to impress people

is similar but less extreme and more moderately decorative
haute
vsfancy
8.3

Very high-class and fashionable, often for food or clothing

is decorative but more general, not limited to elite fashionable circles

Antonyms

208 1.0

Simple and not decorated or flavored

6 5.1

Plain in appearance with no decoration

Idioms

15 2.7

Simple and plain without anything special or expensive

To think you will be successful in a situation

9.9

Looks very expensive to impress people

Compounds

A restaurant with expensive food, a nice atmosphere, and very good service

flight of fancy
  • Informal
7 7.4

An imaginative idea that is unlikely to be true or useful

5 3.5

A costume people wear to hide who they are at a party

4 2.5

A large, expensive home with nice decorations

1 9.5

A woman who has a sexual relationship with a man who supports her financially

1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

fancy Dan
  • Offensive
9.9

A man who dresses and acts in a flashy way to attract attention

fancy goods
  • Archaic
4.1

Small decorative items often sold as gifts

9.4

A man who is a woman's secret lover, not her husband

fancy man
  • Offensive
9.9

A man who finds customers for prostitutes and takes their money

How Fancy

ornate
  • Literature
26 7.0
elaborate
179 4.9
fancy
497 2.7
decorative
49 3.9
plain
208 1.0

Surface Forms

fancy positive
fancier comparative
fanciest superlative

Etymology

Fancy originally came from an old word for imagination, through the English word fantasy and the Greek phantasia, which meant 'appearance' or 'imagination'. So, when we call something 'fancy' for being very decorative, it is like saying it was made by a lively imagination.