: characteristic of or suitable to a fairy tale
especially
: marked by seemingly unreal beauty, perfection, luck, or happiness
led a fairy-tale life
a store clerk's fairy-tale romance
1
a
: a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (such as fairies, wizards, and goblins)
enjoyed the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid"
called also fairy story
b
: a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending
those balletic fairy tales in which a new corps member steps in for an injured principal at the last minute and delivers a splendid performance—
Margaret Willis
Margaret Willis2
: a made-up story usually designed to mislead
an old-fashioned fairy tale depicting revolutionists as demigods—Jonathan Zimmerman
Jonathan ZimmermanSynonyms
Examples of fairy-tale in a Sentence
Noun
the fairy tale about the sleeping princess
Everything he told us about his happy marriage was just a fairy tale.
Recent Examples on the Web
Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Related Articles The collection of new fragrances features six new scents that draw inspiration from fairy-tale princesses Cinderella, Tiana, Jasmine, Moana, Belle and Ariel.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 10 Feb. 2025
Ben Standig, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
And Ljubljana is a really quaint, charming city out of a fairy tale where everything is made of this grand stone in a fantastic architectural style.
—Billie Cohen, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
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Adjective
Unlike the fairy-tale stories often seen on television, the two showed us a union that felt real—complete with petty fights, ridiculous misunderstandings, and playful banter.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Related Articles The collection of new fragrances features six new scents that draw inspiration from fairy-tale princesses Cinderella, Tiana, Jasmine, Moana, Belle and Ariel.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
Those who caught up with the Commanders’ fairy tale story in the playoffs might be surprised to learn that the roster isn’t fully formed.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
And Ljubljana is a really quaint, charming city out of a fairy tale where everything is made of this grand stone in a fantastic architectural style.
—Billie Cohen, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fairy-tale
Dictionary Entries Near fairy-tale
Cite this Entry
“Fairy-tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy-tale. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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