imagination or fantasy; held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than true imagination
"never had the wildest flights of fancy imagined such magnificence"
a predisposition to like something
"he had a fondness for whiskey"
"she had dismissed him quite brutally, relegating him to the status of a passing fancy, or less"
The imagination.
"His fancy led him to imagine that he was a king ruling over a vast empire."
To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
"She looked at his expensive watch and admired it, but she had no desire to own one herself."
In plain English: To fancy someone means to have romantic feelings for them and want to be with that person.
"She decided to fancy herself as an expert in cooking after trying just three recipes."
Decorative.
"The fancy lace trim on her dress caught the light beautifully."
In a fancy manner; fancily.
"The bride walked down the aisle in a fancy dress, moving with grace and elegance."
In plain English: When used as an adverb, fancy means to do something with unnecessary effort or style instead of keeping it simple and straightforward.
"The restaurant was so fancy that we had to dress up for dinner."
Usage: Use the adverbial form of fancy to describe actions performed in an elaborate, stylish, or showy way rather than simply with high quality. This usage is often interchangeable with "ostentatiously" but carries a more playful tone regarding appearance and mannerism.
The word "fancy" comes from Old French and originally meant an idea or notion. It traveled into Middle English as a contraction of fantasy before taking on its modern sense of something stylish or elaborate.