fey

[ fey ]

adjective

1. British Dialect. doomed; fated to die.
2. Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil.
3. supernatural; unreal; enchanted:

   elves, fairies, and other fey creatures.

4. being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death.
5. whimsical; strange; otherworldly:

   a strange child with a mysterious smile and a fey manner.

fey

/ feɪ /

adjective

1. interested in or believing in the supernatural
2. attuned to the supernatural; clairvoyant; visionary
3. fated to die; doomed
4. in a state of high spirits or unusual excitement, formerly believed to presage death

Derived Forms

• ˈfeyness, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fey¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English fǣge doomed to die; cognate with Old Norse feigr doomed, German feig cowardly

Word History and Origins

Origin of fey¹

Old English fæge marked out for death; related to Old Norse feigr doomed, Old High German feigi

Example Sentences

Freya Allan’s Ciri is inscrutable and vulnerable by turns, expertly walking the line of a character who is fey and potentially monstrous in power, but also a young girl facing down a frightening and hostile world with sheer mulish determination.

From Time

When Andy Warhol reportedly observed over a half-century ago that eventually “everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,” I doubt that he thought his fey prediction would inspire an unusually useful and durable expression.

From Time

We have Maya Rudolph, rather than, say, Tina Fey, headlining an attempt to revive the television variety show.

From The Daily Beast

So like, Tina Fey or Ricky Gervais or Ty Burell—and Celine Dion!

From The Daily Beast

The legendary puppets have a conversation about Muppets Most Wanted, Oscar bait, and love tapping Tina Fey.

From The Daily Beast

And I end up in a prison guarded by Nadya, played by Tina Fey.

From The Daily Beast

The two secret ingredients: Poehler and Fey, who transform into clubbing Guidettes with unconventional pickup lines.

From The Daily Beast

I had a man go fey on me once, up on the Slave Lake trail, he said slowly.

From Project Gutenberg

To see one's own fylgja was unlucky, and often a sign that a man was "fey," or death-doomed.

From Project Gutenberg

The next day he seemed just as gay, from dawn till dark, as good-humoured in fact, "as one who feels himself fey."

From Project Gutenberg

So tingles the pulsing blood, perhaps, when a man is fey, when the kisses of his mouth are numbered.

From Project Gutenberg

I hope I am not fey,' I said to myself, with a little thrill of excitement and expectation as the familiar station came in view.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• elfin
• elfish
• fairylike