Meaning & use
fantasmagoria
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Meanings
nouncountableliteraryrare
a confusing, dreamlike series of images or events, often appearing like a shifting scene
Grammar: Countable: a fantasmagoria of images. Often used in the phrase 'a fantasmagoria of something'.
Patterns
- a fantasmagoria of something
- the fantasmagoria of something
The film presents a fantasmagoria of colors and shadows.
Her memories were a fantasmagoria of faces and places.
The market was a fantasmagoria of sounds and smells.
nouncountablerare
a type of 18th- and 19th-century show that used magic lanterns to project frightening images
Grammar: Countable, referring to a historical entertainment: a fantasmagoria was performed.
Patterns
- a fantasmagoria show
- perform a fantasmagoria
In the 1800s, a fantasmagoria thrilled audiences with ghostly projections.
The museum recreated a fantasmagoria using old lantern slides.
Word forms
| plural | fantasmagorias |
|---|
Common combinations
- a fantasmagoria of images
- The poem creates a fantasmagoria of images that shift like clouds.
- a fantasmagoria of colors
- The sunset was a fantasmagoria of colors.
- a fantasmagoria of sounds
- The city at night is a fantasmagoria of sounds.
- a fantasmagoria show
- They staged a fantasmagoria show with lanterns and mirrors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- phantasmagoria
- The more common spelling; it has the same meanings and is preferred in modern English.
- kaleidoscope
- A kaleidoscope is a quickly changing pattern of colors or shapes; fantasmagoria is more dreamlike and strange.
- dreamscape
- Dreamscape refers to a dreamlike landscape; fantasmagoria emphasizes a confusing, shifting series of images.
Word family
- phantasmagoric adjective
- Having the quality of a fantasmagoria; dreamlike and shifting.
- phantasm noun
- A ghost or illusion.
Commonly confused: fantasmagoria or phantasmagoria?
fantasmagoria vs phantasmagoria
This is the same word but with the more common 'ph-' spelling. Use 'phantasmagoria' in most contexts.
Practice
The festival was a ______ of lights, music, and strange costumes.
Choose one answer.
'Fantasmagoria' fits because it means a confusing, dreamlike series of images or events. 'Fantasy' is a pleasant imagined situation, not a shifting scene; 'phantasm' is a ghost; 'imagination' is the ability to imagine, not the scene itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fantasmagoria”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.