fair-haired

American  

[fair-haird] / ˈfɛərˌhɛərd /

adjective

1. having light-colored hair.

---

idioms

1. fair-haired boy, a person, especially a young one, treated as a favorite or considered especially promising by a superior or the members of a group.

   He's the fair-haired boy of the literary set.

Etymology

Origin of fair-haired

First recorded in 1620–30; fair ¹ + hair + -ed ³

Example Sentences

The baffling disappearance of a fair-haired, little boy from a remote Australian farm has been declared a major crime, with detectives pointing the finger at a suspect in his home.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Former Det Ch Insp Driscoll told the BBC that the evidence showed that White had to be considered as the fair-haired attacker described by witnesses.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2023

He was a scrappy, rambunctious, fair-haired son of New York City — hence the nickname — and through the decades a beloved one, as loyal to Yankee pinstripes as his most die-hard fans.

From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2020

Stempel and Van Doren were an obvious contrast: The fair-haired and handsome Van Doren, and the relatively plain Stempel, a stocky, dark-haired man with glasses and a flat, nasally accent.

From Washington Times • May 31, 2020

They tilt their heads in the same way, they are both small and fair-haired.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir