French Conversation · Level 154
30 words
French word
fantaisie
Pronunciation
IPA/fɑ̃tezi/
Meaning
- feminine nounwhim
Example
Il a agi par fantaisie.
He acted on a whim.
More examples
Son projet n'est qu'une fantaisie.
His project is nothing more than a whim.
Core concept
A freely formed thought turns into a temporary preference or action without a practical reason.
Common phrases
laisser libre cours à sa fantaisie
give free rein to one's fancy
succomber à une fantaisie
give in to a whim
avoir des fantaisies
have whims
Similar words
caprice: A sudden desire or act of self-indulgence that quickly changes.
lubie: A temporary, sudden fancy or idea with no clear reason.
Definition in French
Inclination passagère ou idée inventée qui n'obéit pas à une nécessité pratique.
Word origin
The French noun fantaisie developed from Latin phantasia, borrowed from Greek phantasia, and extended from a mental image to an imagined idea or whim.
Usage tips
- In par fantaisie, the word means out of whim or for no practical reason, not simply by fantasy.
Other meanings
- imaginationnoun
- fantasynoun
Opposites
- raisonreasonnoun
Related words
- fantaiseriewhimsicalitynoun
- fantaisistewhimsicaladjective