fairy tale

American  

[fair-ee teyl] / ˈfɛər i ˌteɪl /

noun

1. a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures.

2. an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief.

   His story of being a millionaire is just a fairy tale.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or suggesting a fairy tale.

   a fairy-tale castle.

2. 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

1. of or relating to a fairy tale

2. resembling a fairy tale, esp in being extremely happy or fortunate

   a true story with a fairy-tale ending

3. highly improbable

   he came out with a fairy-tale account of his achievements

---

fairy tale ² British  

noun

1. a story about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, esp one of traditional origin told to children

2. a highly improbable account

---

Etymology

Origin of fairy tale

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

Young people today would think I’m telling a fairy tale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Released in 2010, “Tangled” is Disney’s animated take on the fairy tale “Rapunzel,” about a young princess with long blond magical hair who had been unknowingly kidnapped and secreted away in an isolated tower.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

"It's a bit like the Cinderella fairy tale," says Benjamin Koch from the Institute for Theoretical Physics at TU Wien.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

A Goldilocks economy, as the fairy tale goes, is not too fast and not too slow.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern