different between fancy vs figurative
fancy
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)
- 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 […]
- 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 5, lines 100-103,[1]
- 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?
- 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 […]
- A whim.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:whim
- Love or amorous attachment.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:predilection
- 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;
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, Scene 1,[7]
- Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
- Synonyms: hobby; see also Thesaurus:hobby
- 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.
- A diamond with a distinctive colour.
- 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.
- 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]
- A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
- a French fancy; a fondant fancy; cream fancies
- (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.
- c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act III, Scene 2,[10]
- 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.
- 1970, Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)
Derived terms
Translations
Adjective
fancy (comparative fancier, superlative fanciest)
- Decorative.
- Synonyms: decorative, ornate
- Antonyms: plain, simple
- Of a superior grade.
- Synonym: high-end
- Executed with skill.
- (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.
- Synonym: highfalutin
- Antonym: simple
- (obsolete) Extravagant; above real value.
Derived terms
- fancy man
Translations
Descendants
- ? German: fancy
- ? Norwegian Bokmål: fancy
- ? Norwegian Nynorsk: fancy
Adverb
fancy (not comparable)
- (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)
- (formal) To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
- (Britain) would like
- Synonym: feel like
- (Britain, informal) To be sexually attracted to.
- Synonym: (US) like
- (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.
- To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.
- Synonym: imagine
- he whom I fancy, but can ne'er express
- To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
- (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.
- 1973, American Pigeon Journal (page 159)
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)
- (colloquial, fashion) fancy
Declension
Further reading
- “fancy” in Duden online
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Borrowed from English fancy.
Adjective
fancy (indeclinable)
- fancy
References
- “fancy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
Borrowed from English fancy.
Adjective
fancy (indeclinable)
- fancy
References
- “fancy” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
fancy From the web:
- what fancy means
- what fancy restaurants are open
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- what does fancy mean
- definition fancy
figurative
English
Etymology
From Middle French figuratif.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?f?????t?v/
Adjective
figurative (comparative more figurative, superlative most figurative)
- Of use as a metaphor, simile, or metonym, as opposed to literal; using figures; as when saying that someone who eats more than they should is a pig or like a pig.
- Metaphorically so called.
- With many figures of speech.
- Emblematic, symbolic; representative, exemplative
- 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
- This, they will say, was figurative, and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity.
- 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
- (art) representing forms recognisable in life and clearly derived from real object sources, in contrast to abstract art.
- 1875-1886, John Addington Symonds, Renaissance in Italy
- They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form.
- 1875-1886, John Addington Symonds, Renaissance in Italy
Usage notes
- Said of language, expression, etc.
Antonyms
- literal
Derived terms
Related terms
- figure
Translations
Further reading
- figurative in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- figurative in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- “figurative”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
- figurative art on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fi.?y.?a.tiv/
- Homophone: figuratives
Adjective
figurative
- feminine singular of figuratif
German
Pronunciation
Adjective
figurative
- inflection of figurativ:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Italian
Adjective
figurative
- feminine plural of figurativo
Anagrams
- figuratevi
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
figurative
- definite singular/plural of figurativ
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
figurative
- definite singular/plural of figurativ
figurative From the web:
- what figurative language
- what figurative language is in over his head
- what figurative language uses like or as
- what figurative language describes something
- what figurative language is exaggeration
- what figurative language is break a leg
- what figurative language is repetition
- what figurative language repeats words
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