I. fan ‧ cy 1 S2 /ˈfænsi/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle fancied , present participle fancying , third person singular fancies ) [transitive]
1 . LIKE/WANT British English informal to like or want something, or want to do something SYN feel like :
Fancy a quick drink, Emma?
fancy doing something
Sorry, but I don’t fancy going out tonight.
2 . SEXUAL ATTRACTION British English informal to feel sexually attracted to someone:
All the girls fancied him.
3 . fancy yourself British English informal to behave in a way that shows you think you are very attractive or clever:
That bloke on the dance floor really fancies himself.
4 . fancy yourself (as) something British English to believe, usually wrongly, that you have particular skills or are a particular type of person:
He fancies himself an artist.
She fancies herself as another Madonna.
5 . THINK SOMETHING WILL BE SUCCESSFUL British English to think someone or something is likely to be successful in something:
Which team do you fancy this year?
I don’t fancy our chances of getting a ticket this late.
6 . fancy!/fancy that! British English spoken used to express your surprise or shock about something:
‘The Petersons are getting divorced.’ ‘Fancy that!’
Fancy seeing you here!
7 . THINK/BELIEVE literary to think or believe something without being certain
fancy (that)
She fancied she heard a noise downstairs.
II. fancy 2 BrE AmE noun ( plural fancies )
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: fantasy ]
1 . LIKING/WISH [singular] especially British English
a) a feeling, especially one that is not particularly strong or urgent, that you like someone or want to have something
take a fancy to somebody/something (=decide that you like someone or want to have something)
Mr Hill took a real fancy to Clara.
Wanting to go to Mexico was just a passing fancy (=the feeling did not last long) .
Because of its high cost, a carpet is not an item that you change as the fancy takes you (=whenever you want) .
b) take/catch your fancy if something takes or catches your fancy, you like it or want to have it:
Did you see anything that took your fancy?
2 . tickle sb’s fancy informal to seem attractive or amusing to someone:
The idea of playing a joke on her tickled his fancy.
3 . IDEA [countable] old-fashioned an idea or opinion that is not based on fact:
Oh, that was just a fancy of his.
4 . IMAGINATION [uncountable] literary imagination or something that you imagine ⇨ flight of fancy at ↑ flight (6)
III. fancy 3 S3 BrE AmE adjective ( comparative fancier , superlative fanciest )
1 . fancy hotels, restaurants, cars etc are expensive and fashionable SYN swanky :
Harry took me to a fancy restaurant for our anniversary.
fancy prices British English (=very high and often unreasonable prices)
2 . having a lot of decoration or bright colours, or made in a complicated way:
fancy soaps in seashell shapes
I just want a basic sports coat – nothing fancy.
3 . complicated and needing a lot of skill OPP straightforward :
I can’t do all that fancy stuff on the computer.
Negotiating a deal can take some fancy footwork (=skill at making deals) .
4 . [only before noun] American English fancy food is of a high quality