Cinderella

noun

Cin·​der·​el·​la ˌsin-də-ˈre-lə 

: one resembling the fairy-tale Cinderella: such as

a

: one suffering undeserved neglect

b

: one suddenly lifted from obscurity to honor or significance

Cinderella adjective

Examples of Cinderella in a Sentence

a company that is the Cinderella of the computer industry

The team is the Cinderella of the tournament.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 14-year-old’s life is tough, much like Cinderella’s. —Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 16 May 2025

In the sky above, more than 9,000 drones formed the shape of Cinderella's Castle. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

See Cinderella's stepmother in a new light in 'Lady Tremaine' excerpt (exclusive) See the cover and read an excerpt from Rachel Hawkins' 'The Storm' Jordan was part of the second cycle of Reese's Book Club LitUp fellows from Oscar-winning actress and producer Reese Witherspoon. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 14 May 2025

People walk in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

after Cinderella, fairy-tale heroine who is used as a drudge by her stepmother but ends up married to a prince

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Cinderella

• arabella
• bartonella
• bordetella
• citronella
• columella
• isabella
• klebsiella
• legionella
• mozzarella
• pasteurella
• salmonella
• trichinella