fantasize

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/ˈfæntəˌsaɪz/US[ˈfæ̃ɾ̃əˌsaɪz]US[ˈfænəˌsaɪz]

verb

To indulge in fantasy; to imagine things only possible in fantasy.

“I fantasized about my ideal date.”

Similar
fantasyfantasise
UncommonScrabble 21
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Meanings

verbfantasize (third-person singular simple present fantasizes, present participle fantasizing, simple past and past participle fantasized)

present singular third person fantasizes · participle present fantasizing · participle past fantasized · past fantasized · alternative fantasise · alternative phantasise · alternative archaic phantasize

  1. BritishEnglishOxfordUSintransitiveTo indulge in fantasy; to imagine things only possible in fantasy.

    I fantasized about my ideal date.

  2. BritishEnglishOxfordUSintransitivetransitiveTo portray in the mind, using fantasy.

    Actress Dana Delany fantasizes about making love with two men.

    1995 March 22, “Seinfeld with Madonna? 'Cosmo' reveals sex fantasies”, in The Arizona Republic
    1 more example

    Not that Mom and I didn't have our "shared experiences" — it's just that I'd like to forget most of them. I'd rather fantasize us together in that little cafe.

    1984 August 11, Janice Irvine, “Secrets of Fear, Shame, and Love”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 5, page 9

Synonyms & antonyms

verbindulge in fantasies

Similar
fantasyfantasise
Broader
imagineconceive ofideate

verbportray in the mind

Similar
fantasise
Broader
imagineconceive ofideate
Also see
fantasticizefantasy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From fantasy + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تخيّل
  • تخيّلto indulge in fantasy
Bulgarian фантазирам, фантазирам си
  • фантазирам (fantaziram)to indulge in fantasy
  • фантазирам си (fantaziram si)to portray in the mind
Catalan fantasiejar, fantasiejar
  • fantasiejarto indulge in fantasy
  • fantasiejarto portray in the mind
Finnish fantasioida, kuvitella
  • fantasioidato indulge in fantasy
  • kuvitellato indulge in fantasy
  • haaveillato indulge in fantasy
French fantasmer, rêvasser
  • fantasmerto indulge in fantasy
  • rêvasserto indulge in fantasy
Greek ονειροπολώ, φαντάζομαι
  • ονειροπολώ (oneiropoló)to indulge in fantasy
  • φαντάζομαι (fantázomai)to indulge in fantasy
Hungarian fantáziál, fantáziál
  • fantáziálto indulge in fantasy
  • fantáziálto portray in the mind
Italian fantasticare
  • fantasticareto indulge in fantasy
Māori pohewa
  • pohewato portray in the mind
Norwegian fantasere
  • fantasereto indulge in fantasy
Portuguese fantasiar, fantasiar
  • fantasiarto indulge in fantasy
  • fantasiarto portray in the mind
Romanian avea fantezii
  • avea fanteziito indulge in fantasy
Russian фантази́ровать
  • фантази́ровать (fantazírovatʹ)to indulge in fantasy
Spanish fantasear
  • fantasearto indulge in fantasy
Swedish fantisera
  • fantiserato indulge in fantasy
Thai เพ้อฝัน, จินตนาการ
  • เพ้อฝัน (pə́ə-fǎn)to indulge in fantasy
  • จินตนาการ (jin-dtà-naa-gaan)to indulge in fantasy
  • ฝันเฟื่อง (fǎn-fʉ̂ʉang)to indulge in fantasy
Turkish kurgulamak
  • kurgulamakto portray in the mind
Ukrainian фантазува́ти, фантазува́ти
  • фантазува́ти (fantazuváty)to indulge in fantasy
  • фантазува́ти (fantazuváty)to portray in the mind
  • сфантазува́ти (sfantazuváty)to portray in the mind
Cite this entry
APA

fantasize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantasize

MLA

“fantasize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantasize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fantasize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantasize.

Source: fantasize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.