fairy

[ fair-ee ]

See synonyms for: fairy fairier fairiest fairies on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural fair·ies orfae for 1.

(in folklore) one of a class of supernatural beings, generally conceived as having a diminutive human form and possessing magical powers with which they intervene in human affairs.
Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.

adjective

of or relating to fairies: fairy magic.
of the nature of a fairy; fairylike.

fairy green.

Origin of fairy

First recorded in 1300–1350; Middle English faierie, fairie, from Old French: literally, “enchantment, fairyland, fairy folk”; see origin at fay¹, -ery

synonym study For fairy

1. Fairy, brownie, elf, sprite are terms for imaginary beings usually less than human size, thought to be helpful or harmful to people. Fairy is the most general name for such beings: a good fairy as a godmother; misadventures caused by an evil fairy. Fairy is also used interchangeably with faerie and sometimes has the plural form fae. While both fairy and faerie have been in use since the 14th or 15th century, the -ae- spelling is resurgent in fantasy writing, and the plural fae is now sometimes used as a singular: the player character is the only one who can permanently kill a fae. Modern fae are often conceived as being larger than traditional folklore fairies, and can have either kind or malicious intentions.
A brownie, by contrast, is a good-natured tiny being who appears usually at night to do household tasks: Perhaps the brownies will come and mow the lawn tonight. Elf suggests a young, mischievous or roguish fairy: That child is a perfect little elf. Sprite suggests a fairy of pleasing appearance, older than an elf, to be admired for ease and lightness of movement; it may, however, be impish or even hostile: a dainty sprite.

Other words for fairy

1	pixie, leprechaun

See synonyms for fairy on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby fairy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fairy in a sentence

The fairy godmother is a magical stretch, but massive pumpkins are very real.
Here’s how giant pumpkins get so big | Bethany Brookshire | October 28, 2020 | Science News For Students
In our book, we introduce the “Switch Witch,” who comes at night to exchange excess candy for a small gift, kind of like the tooth fairy for Halloween.
Feeling Scared About How Your Kids Can Enjoy Halloween This Year? Have No Fear – Healthy Snacks Are Here | LGBTQ-Editor | October 27, 2020 | No Straight News
To be fair, before Western mermaids were made all cute by fairy tales and Disney they were feared for leading sailors to certain doom.
Be Very Afraid: A Virtual House of Horrors | Tracy Moran | October 25, 2020 | Ozy
For a long time now, such experiences have been considered not very reliable, certainly unscientific, and, if valid at all, deeply steeped in that pleasant state of mind known to us from fairy tales, novels, and poems.
What the Meadow Teaches Us - Issue 90: Something Green | Andreas Weber | September 16, 2020 | Nautilus
Because in many ways that feels like the ultimate dream, it almost feels like a fairy tale, honestly.
Tan France Goes Deep on Racism and When He Almost Quit ‘Queer Eye’ | Eugene Robinson | September 3, 2020 | Ozy

But when the darkness closes in, we actually run to fairy tales and fables.
On Torture, Chuck Johnson & Sondheim | James Poulos | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Actually, rather like Gruber, we feel rather icky about fairy tales.
On Torture, Chuck Johnson & Sondheim | James Poulos | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Not that the demonstration had anything to do with this couple, whom Sarah seems to see as a fairy tale come to life.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill | Michael Daly | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Were the fairy-tale true it really would shame the affluent west.
The Dark Side of Cuba’s Ebola Economy | James Bloodworth | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In reality, prison weddings look nothing like the fairy tales depicted on TV and in bridal magazines.
Saying Yes to the Dress—Behind Bars | Caitlin Dickson | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The tailor of the fairy tale with his "seven at a blow" is not in it with the gunnery Lieutenant of a battleship.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
The Elizabethan pipes were so small that now when they are dug up in Ireland the poor call them 'fairy pipes' from their tininess.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
Spenser in his fairy Queen makes one of the characters include it with other herbs celebrated for medicinal qualities.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
She had just come to forty-nine, and was wondering if she might remind the fairy father of his duty, when the door opened.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. Williamson
Many years ago I collected together a large number of these 'fairy Pipes' from all parts of the kingdom.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for fairy

fairy

/ (ˈfɛərɪ) /

nounplural fairies

an imaginary supernatural being, usually represented in diminutive human form and characterized as clever, playful, and having magical powers
slang a male homosexual

away with the fairies informal out of touch with reality

adjective(prenominal)

of or relating to a fairy or fairies
resembling a fairy or fairies, esp in being enchanted or delicate

Origin of fairy

C14: from Old French faerie fairyland, from feie fairy, from Latin Fāta the Fates; see fate, fay 1

Derived forms of fairy

fairy-like, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with fairy

fairy

In addition to the idiom beginning with fairy

fairy godmother

also see:

tooth fairy

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