Fancifier

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person or thing that enhances the appearance or allure of something, often by adding decorative details or embellishments
2. An entity that transforms the ordinary into something more attractive or appealing through ornamentation
3. Something that modifies or improves the aesthetic qualities of an object, often making it more visually delightful or stylish

Etymology: "Fancifier" is a straightforward formation: the verb "fancify," meaning to make fancy or ornamental, plus the agentive suffix "-er," producing a noun for one who fancifies. "Fancify" itself is built from "fancy" with the verb-forming suffix "-ify," which English adopted from Latin "-ificare" through French, the same ending found in "simplify" and "beautify." "Fancy" has an unusual past. It is a shortened form of "fantasy," which came into English in the late 1300s from Old French "fantasie," from Latin "phantasia," a Greek-derived word for an image or appearance in the mind. Over time "fancy" shifted from meaning imagination to meaning a taste or liking, and then to elaborate ornamentation, so that a "fancifier" is literally someone who turns plain things into imaginative, showy ones.

Synonyms: decorator, embellisher, enhancer, beautifier

Antonyms: simplifier, plainifier