different between fancy vs fanciest

English

Alternative forms

• fant’sy, phancie, phancy, phansie, phansy, phant’sy (all obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fæn.si/
• Rhymes: -ænsi

Etymology 1

From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (phantasía), from ??????? (phantáz?, “to render visible”), from ?????? (phantós, “visible”), from ????? (phaín?, “to make visible”); from the same root as ??? (phôs, “light”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.

Noun

fancy (plural fancies)

1. The imagination.
   • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 5, lines 100-103,^[1]

     […] But know that in the soul

     Are many lesser faculties, that serve

     Reason as chief; among these Fancy next

     Her office holds […]

   • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, Locksley Hall

     In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove; / In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

   • 1861, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, “A New Counterblast” in Atlantic Monthly, December 1861, p. 700,^[2]

     Rustic females who habitually chew even pitch or spruce-gum are rendered thereby so repulsive that the fancy refuses to pursue the horror farther and imagine it tobacco […]
2. An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.

   Synonyms: conception, thought, idea

   • c. 1605, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act III, Scene 2,^[3]

     How now, my lord! why do you keep alone,

     Of sorriest fancies your companions making,

     Using those thoughts which should indeed have died

     With them they think on?

3. An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.

   Synonym: impression

   • 1650, John Bulwer, Anthropometamorphosis: Man Transform’d, 2nd edition, London, 1653, Epistle Dedicatory, pp. 2-3,^[4]

     When you have well viewed the Scenes and Devillish shapes of this Practicall Metamorphosis, and scan’d them in your serious thoughts, you will wonder at their audacious phant’sies, who seeme to hold Specificall deformities, or that any part can seeme unhandsome in their Eyes, which hath appeared good and beautifull unto their Maker […]

   • 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, 13th edition, London, 1764, §148, p. 222, ^[5]

     I have always had a Fancy, that Learning might be made a Play and Recreation to Children […]
4. A whim.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:whim

5. Love or amorous attachment.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:predilection

6. The object of inclination or liking.
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, Scene 1,^[7]

     For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself

     To fit your fancies to your father’s will;

7. Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.

   Synonyms: hobby; see also Thesaurus:hobby

8. The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fan

   • 1830, Thomas De Quincey, “Review of Life of Richard Bentley, D.D. by J.H. Monk, D.D.” in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 28, No. 171, September 1830, p. 446, footnote,^[8]

     […] at a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the Fancy, on a copy occurring, not one of the company but ourself knew what the mystical title-page meant.

9. A diamond with a distinctive colour.
10. That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
    • 18th century, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving Land, cited in Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755,^[9]

      London-pride is a pretty fancy, and does well for borders.

11. A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.

    a French fancy; a fondant fancy; cream fancies

12. (obsolete) A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
    • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act III, Scene 2,^[10]

      [He] sung those tunes to the overscutch’d huswifes that he heard the carmen whistle, and sware they were his fancies or his good-nights.

13. In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
    • 1970, Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)

      When you have mastered plainsies, the regular jack game, and have learned all the rules, you will be ready to use this part of the book. A fancy is a variation of plainsies which usually requires more skill than plainsies does.

    • 2002, Elizabeth Dana Jaffe, Sherry L. Field, Linda D. Labbo, Jacks (page 26)

      When you get good at jacks, try adding a fancy. A fancy is an extra round at the end of a game. It makes the game a little harder. Jack Be Nimble, Around the World, or Black Widow are some fancies.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

fancy (comparative fancier, superlative fanciest)

1. Decorative.

   Synonyms: decorative, ornate

   Antonyms: plain, simple

2. Of a superior grade.

   Synonym: high-end

3. Executed with skill.

4. (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.

   Synonym: highfalutin

   Antonym: simple

5. (obsolete) Extravagant; above real value.

Derived terms

• fancy man

Translations

Descendants

• ? German: fancy
• ? Norwegian Bokmål: fancy
• ? Norwegian Nynorsk: fancy

Adverb

fancy (not comparable)

1. (nonstandard) In a fancy manner; fancily.

Etymology 2

From Middle English fancien, fantasien, fantesien, from Old French fantasier, from the noun (see above)).

Verb

fancy (third-person singular simple present fancies, present participle fancying, simple past and past participle fancied)

1. (formal) To appreciate without jealousy or greed.

2. (Britain) would like

   Synonym: feel like

3. (Britain, informal) To be sexually attracted to.

   Synonym: (US) like

4. (dated) To imagine, suppose.

   • If our search has reached no farther than simile and metaphor, we rather fancy than know.

   • 1857-1859, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians

     He fancied he was welcome, because those around him were his kinsmen.

   • 1895, H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X

     I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.

5. To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.

   Synonym: imagine

   • he whom I fancy, but can ne'er express

6. To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
7. (transitive) To breed (animals) as a hobby.
   • 1973, American Pigeon Journal (page 159)

     I would recommend this little book very highly to anyone who fancies pigeons, novices and veterans alike.

Derived terms

• fancy man
• fancy one's chances
• fancy that

Translations

See also

• fantasy
• fancy man
• fancypants
• fancy woman

References

Further reading

• Fancy in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

German

Etymology

Borrowed from English fancy. Doublet of Fantasie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fænsi/

Adjective

fancy (not comparable)

1. (colloquial, fashion) fancy

Declension

Further reading

• “fancy” in Duden online

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English fancy.

Adjective

fancy (indeclinable)

1. fancy

References

• “fancy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English fancy.

Adjective

fancy (indeclinable)

1. fancy

References

• “fancy” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Adjective

fanciest

1. superlative form of fancy: most fancy

Anagrams

• facients