fantasist
fantasist Lexical Profile
fantasist Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who lives in an imaginary world or habitually fabricates elaborate, untrue stories about themselves to impress others, often to the point of self-delusion.
"The investigation revealed that the self-proclaimed billionaire was merely a compulsive fantasist with a string of unpaid debts."
An author, artist, or composer who creates works in the genre of fantasy or fantastical fiction.
"The convention featured a panel of acclaimed literary fantasists discussing the art of world-building."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'fantasist' neutrally describes an author or creator of fantasy works, when applied to someone's personal behavior (especially in British English and journalism), it is strongly pejorative and implies someone who fabricates elaborate, delusional lies about their life or accomplishments.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 19th century from 'fantasy' (ultimately from Ancient Greek phantasia, meaning 'appearance' or 'imagination') combined with the agent suffix '-ist'.