fairy tale
noun
a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures.
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fairy tale
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fairy-tale
fairy-taleadjectiveof or relating to a fairy tale
fairy tale
American
[fair-ee tayl]
/ ˈfɛər i ˌteɪl /
noun
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fairy tales
plural
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a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures.
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an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief.
His story of being a millionaire is just a fairy tale.
adjective
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of, relating to, or suggesting a fairy tale.
a fairy-tale castle.
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idealized or romantic, often to an unrealistic extent.
Many people still want to believe in true love and fairy-tale endings.
fairy-tale
1
British
adjective
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of or relating to a fairy tale
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resembling a fairy tale, esp in being extremely happy or fortunate
a true story with a fairy-tale ending
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highly improbable
he came out with a fairy-tale account of his achievements
fairy tale
2
British
noun
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a story about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, esp one of traditional origin told to children
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a highly improbable account
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fairy tale
First recorded in 1740–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
We want to believe in the Hollywood fairy tale that talent will be rewarded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Texas company’s first commissioned opera, with a score by Jorge Sosa and a libretto by John de los Santos, is a Mexican-infused take on a fairy tale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“Is this a fairy tale that will ever actually come to fruition?”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Brimming with confidence, he said: "I look like I am from a fairy tale, I am the most handsome man in England."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The wine was steaming and bubbling, and it came to Tristran then—the information surfacing from some long-forgotten fairy tale or piece of children's lore—that a unicorn's horn was proof against...
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Although the film was Tom Cruise’s earliest foray into action-adventure, emerging before 1986’s “Top Gun” buried its cultural legacy, any fresh Hollywood face could have played Scott’s fairy-tale hero.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Gleiberman added that the film "truly delivers 'Moana' - the beauty, the comic personality, the fairy-tale enchantment", and described Johnson's "fit" for the film as "perfect".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
A fairy tale, almost, as you point out, full of fairy-tale endings and plot points that were as good as magic.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Pictures show an exterior that conjures up images of a fairy-tale cottage hidden away among the trees, while the interior is a vibrant rainbow of colors, textures, and decor.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026
Ivy always drew the most beautiful artwork—her specialty was fairy-tale palaces covered in leafy vines that perfectly matched Ivy’s name.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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