I. WANTING, LIKING, OR THINKING
(fancies, ~ing, fancied)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something, you want to have it or to do it. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
What do you ~ doing, anyway?...
I just fancied a drink.
VERB: V -ing, V n
2.
A ~ is a liking or desire for someone or something, especially one that does not last long.
She did not suspect that his interest was just a passing ~.
= whim
N-COUNT: usu with supp
3.
If you ~ someone, you feel attracted to them, especially in a sexual way. (INFORMAL)
I think he thinks I ~ him or something.
VERB: V n
4.
If you ~ yourself as a particular kind of person or ~ yourself doing a particular thing, you like the idea of being that kind of person or doing that thing.
So you ~ yourself as the boss someday?...
I didn’t ~ myself wearing a kilt.
VERB: V pron-refl as n, V pron-refl -ing
5.
If you say that someone fancies themselves as a particular kind of person, you mean that they think, often wrongly, that they have the good qualities which that kind of person has.
She fancies herself a bohemian...
...a flighty young woman who really fancies herself.
VERB: V pron-refl n, V pron-refl
6.
If you say that you ~ a particular competitor or team in a competition, you think they will win. (BRIT)
You have to ~ Bath because they are the most consistent team in England...
I ~ England to win through.
VERB: V n, V n to-inf
7.
You say ‘~’ or ‘~ that’ when you want to express surprise or disapproval.
It was very tasteless. Fancy talking like that so soon after his death...
‘Fancy that!’ smiled Conti.
EXCLAM feelings
8.
If you take a ~ to someone or something, you start liking them, usually for no understandable reason.
Sylvia took quite a ~ to him...
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n/-ing
9.
If something takes your ~ or tickles your ~, you like it a lot when you see it or think of it.
She makes most of her own clothes, copying any fashion which takes her ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
II. ELABORATE OR EXPENSIVE
(fancier, fanciest)
1.
If you describe something as ~, you mean that it is special, unusual, or elaborate, for example because it has a lot of decoration.
It was packaged in a ~ plastic case with attractive graphics.
...~ jewellery.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
2.
If you describe something as ~, you mean that it is very expensive or of very high quality, and you often dislike it because of this. (INFORMAL)
They sent me to a ~ private school.
ADJ: usu ADJ n