Unfancy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not elaborate or ornamented, showing simplicity and plainness
2. Characterized by a lack of decoration or fancy details, presenting a straightforward appearance
3. Displaying a simple and unadorned style without complexity or embellishment

Etymology: "Unfancy" is simply the English prefix un- attached to "fancy," so its story is largely the story of its two halves. The prefix goes back through Old English and Proto-Germanic to a very ancient root shared by many languages, where it meant "not" and negated whatever it was attached to. "Fancy" is the older and more interesting piece: it began as a shortened form of "fantasy," with the sense of an imagined image or notion, and over time it narrowed toward ornament and decoration, which is the sense "unfancy" depends on. Combining the two gives a word meaning the reverse of ornate: plain, unadorned, without frills. Because it is built transparently from familiar parts, it needs no special explanation, and it is a useful example of how English freely negates adjectives with un- when the need arises.

Synonyms: simple, plain, basic, ordinary, modest

Antonyms: fancy, elaborate, extravagant, ornate, lavish