fairy-tale

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfer-ē-ˌtāl 

: 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

fairy tale

2 of 2

noun

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

2

: a made-up story usually designed to mislead

an old-fashioned fairy tale depicting revolutionists as demigods

—Jonathan Zimmerman

Synonyms

Noun

• fable
• fabrication
• falsehood
• falsity
• fib
• lie
• mendacity
• prevarication
• story
• tale
• taradiddle
• tarradiddle
• untruth
• whopper

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

Adjective

In it, our editors suggested building a collection of fairy-tale houses from wood or cardboard to hang or display. —Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024

Adults explain little to her—the possibility of death lies beyond her field of vision—which gives the vivid misery of her treatment a fairy-tale quality. —Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024

Noun

The dark fairy tale about a young factory worker woman’s search for morality in a cruel post-WWI Copenhagen. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024

The movie is both a nifty modern twist on fairy tales and a fun odd couple comedy, anchored by two endearing performances. —Sezín Devi Koehler, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

fairy tale

noun

1

: a simple children's story about imaginary beings

called also fairy story

2

: a made-up story usually meant to mislead