noun / adjective
fantasy
FAN-tuh-see/ˈfæntəsi/
An imagined situation unconstrained by actual events.
Her favorite fantasy is living in a castle above the clouds.
Etymology
Greek phantasia connected appearances and images with the power of imagination. English developed from an illusory appearance to an imagined notion, providing the bridge to an unreal situation or story.
In context
So instead of facing loneliness, pressure, boredom, or anxiety, they disappear into imagined situations. Not because they're lazy, but because fantasy temporarily reduces emotional discomfort.
More examples
- He entertains fantasies of quitting work and sailing around the world.
- In this fantasy novel, trees can speak.
- My fantasy football team earns points when real players score.
Forms
fantasy · fantasies
fantasize verb — To imagine situations, especially ones you desire.
Similar words
- daydream
- Emphasizes pleasant imagining while awake rather than attending to surroundings.
- reverie
- Emphasizes absorbed, dreamy thought rather than a particular imagined situation.