fay

1 of 5

verb

ˈfā 

fayed; faying; fays

transitive + intransitive

: to fit or join closely or tightly

fay

2 of 5

noun (1)

obsolete

: faith

fay

3 of 5

noun (2)

: fairy, elf

fay

4 of 5

adjective

: resembling an elf

fay

5 of 5

noun (3)

slang, usually disparaging

: ofay

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• gnome
• goblin
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• kobold
• leprechaun
• pixie
• pixy
• puck
• sprite
• troll

Adjective

• antic
• coltish
• elfish
• frisky
• frolicsome
• larky
• playful
• rollicking
• sportful
• sportive

Examples of fay in a Sentence

Noun (2)

in the tale a fay appears in the form of a beautiful and serene woman with an angelic air and a billowy gown

Adjective

with her slight build and perky manner, the actress was usually cast as the fay young woman who charms all the men in town

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Almshouse dwellers, sitting in the sun, watching the surging tide and the glistening water, tell of spirits and banshees and fays. —Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English feien, from Old English fēgan; akin to Old High German fuogen to fit, Latin pangere to fasten — more at pact

Noun (1)

Middle English fai, fei, from Anglo-French feid, fei — more at faith

Noun (2)

Middle English faie, from Anglo-French fee — more at fairy

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1927, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fay

noun

ˈfā

: fairy, elf

fay adjective