Fancies

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈfæn.siz/

Definitions

1. Forms a mental image or desire of something ; feels a liking or romantic attraction toward someone or something
2. Creates a mental picture or wish for something not present ; experiences a preference or fondness for someone or something
3. Visualizes or dreams up something desired ; develops an inclination or affection for a person or thing

Etymology: "Fancies" is the third-person singular form of the verb "fancy" and the plural of the noun, and both trace back to a Greek verb meaning "to render visible." In ancient Greek, "phantazō" meant to make something appear before the eye, and its derivative "phantasia" came to mean the mental image or impression that such appearances leave behind. That sense of an inner picture is the thread running from the Greek word to the modern one. The route into English was indirect. "Phantasia" passed into Medieval Latin as "fantasia," then into Old French as "fantasie." English first took it as "fansy" or "fantsy," a shortened form of "fantasy," and the verb "fancien" or "fantasien" came from the French verb "fantasier." Through these forms, the same word became both "fancy," meaning an idea or inclination, and "fantasy," which kept closer to the original notion of a mental image.

Synonyms: imaginations, dreams, visions, whims, notions

Antonyms: realities, facts, truths, certainties, actualities