Wanted or desired something, or imagined something that might not be real.
From Middle English 'fancien', derived from Old French 'fantaisie' meaning imagination or fantasy. The verb originally meant to imagine or create in the mind before taking on the meaning of desire.
The phrase 'he fancied her' works differently in British English versus American English—Brits use it for romantic attraction while Americans might say it sounds old-fashioned. Language evolves differently across the Atlantic, and this word captures that perfect divide.
In historical usage, 'fancied' applied to women implied sexual desire or romantic pursuit with moralistic judgment; asymmetrically applied to men's desires with less censure.
Use 'preferred,' 'liked,' or 'was attracted to' for clarity and to avoid gendered double standards in describing desire or preference.
["preferred","liked","was attracted to","desired"]
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