fairy tale

[ fair-ee teyl ]

/ ˈfɛər i ˌteɪl /

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noun Sometimes fair·y sto·ry

[fair-ee stawr-ee] /ˈfɛər i ˌstɔr i/ .

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.

adjective fair·y-tale .

of, relating to, or suggesting a fairy tale: a fairy-tale castle.

idealized or romantic, often to an unrealistic extent: Many people still want to believe in true love and fairy-tale endings.

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Origin of fairy tale

First recorded in 1740–50

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

How to use fairy tale in a sentence

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|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|DAILY BEAST
The story was a very subversive fairy tale by Roald Dahl, and a fantastic part.
All Eyes on Anjelica Huston: The Legendary Actress on Love, Abuse, and Jack Nicholson|Alex Suskind|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, the quaint spectacle of a stage-managed fairy-tale celebration strikes many of us as a load of garbage.
What Republicans Need Right Now Is a Good Internal Fight|James Poulos|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Is there more to U.S. involvement overseas than the fairy tale of knights saving fair maidens from dragons?
Noam Chomsky—Infuriating and Necessary|David Masciotra|September 28, 2014|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
He, Bastien-Lepage, painter of the soil, found himself unable to transfer to canvas the enchantment of that land of fairy tale!
Bastien Lepage|Fr. Crastre
Life at the Princes country-seat seemed to Tchaikovsky like a fairy tale.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
But on the night when ended the Fairy tale we have seen that a new Sally began springing into life.
Maid Sally|Harriet A. Cheever
By all means read the chapters on The Possibilities of Agriculture: no fairy-tale is more miraculous.
Comrade Kropotkin|Victor Robinson

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

fairy tale

Origin of fairy tale

Words related to fairy tale

How to use fairy tale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (1 of 2)

fairy story

British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (2 of 2)