fancy

If something is beautiful, ornate, elegant, sophisticated, or expensive it might be fancy.

• He drives a big, fancy car.
• That’s quite a fancy house they live in.
• I don’t want anything fancy for the living room. Let’s keep the furniture and the decorating simple.
• Lindsey likes to wear large, fancy earrings.
• Dancers are known for their fancy footwork.
• She likes to wear fancy clothes and fancy jewelry.

She’s a fancy dresser.

The meaning of the word "fancy" can have an intended, negative meaning, depending on the situation and the person who uses the word:

• He’s wearing his fancy pants to work. ("Fancy pants" are shorts or pants that are noticably ususual.)
• Let’s not get too fancy.
• Who do you think you are by trying to be all fancy?
• Thomas has a lot of fancy degrees, but that doesn’t mean he’s qualified for the job.
• He’s a fancy boy. (This could mean a man is gay.)

It’s possible to use "fancy" as a verb, but this usage is often considered archaic (old and out of style).

• She fancies him. (She likes him.)
• Neither person fancies the idea of getting a dog. (They don’t to get a dog.)

In these next sentences, "fancy" is a noun, but the usage is considered to be old-fashioned:

• He took a fancy to her. (He liked her.)
• She has a fancy for jewelry. (She likes jewelry.)

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July 23, 2013