To imagine or daydream about something that you would like to happen, often something unrealistic.
From Greek 'phantazein' meaning 'to make visible' or 'imagine,' derived from 'phantos' (visible). It entered English in the 18th century meaning to create mental images or illusions.
Fantasizing is actually how your brain rehearses—athletes use visualization before competitions because imagining success activates the same neural pathways as actually doing it.
Disproportionately directed as dismissal toward women's ambitions ('just fantasizing'); paired with 'hysteria' in medical discourse to pathologize women's imagination.
Use for imagination/mental modeling neutrally. Avoid using to dismiss someone's plans as unrealistic, especially based on gender stereotypes.
["imagine","envision","hypothesize"]
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