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fancier

/ˈfænsiər/
IPA guide

Other forms: fanciers

Someone crazy about something can be called a fancier. If you join a club to promote the well-being of pheasants, someone might describe you as "a pheasant fancier." That just means you like pheasants a lot.

The word fancier can refer to someone who fancies (or really likes) something — such as dogs or wine or chocolate. It can also be used to describe someone who breeds a particular animal, with the intent of improving the breed. Make sure you don’t confuse this word with the adjective fancy, which has a comparative form that is also spelled “fancier.” That fancier would be used in the sense of “more ornamental” or “more extravagant” — as in "My prom dress is fancier than yours."

Definitions of fancier
  1. noun
    a person having a strong liking for something
    synonyms: enthusiast
    see moresee less
    types:
    animal fancier
    a person who breeds animals
    bird fancier
    a person with a strong interest in birds
    maniac
    a person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something
    technophile
    a person who is enthusiastic about new technology
    cat fancier
    a person who breeds and cares for cats
    horse fancier, horseman
    a person who breeds and cares for horses
    type of:
    admirer, adorer
    someone who admires a young woman
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fancier'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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