fairy tale
Save This Word!
noun
a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures.
an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief: His story of being a millionaire is just a fairy tale.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Also called fairy story.
Origin of fairy tale
First recorded in 1740–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use fairy tale in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (1 of 2)
fairy tale
fairy story
noun
a story about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, esp one of traditional origin told to children
a highly improbable account
British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (2 of 2)
fairy-tale
adjective
of or relating to a fairy tale
resembling a fairy tale, esp in being extremely happy or fortunatea true story with a fairy-tale ending
highly improbablehe came out with a fairy-tale account of his achievements
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