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

Still, despite the fairytale, campaigns pour good money after bad to lure this vote.
Reality Check: There Are No Swing Voters|Goldie Taylor|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Newsweek tries to argue that its survey shows that we no longer believe in ‘the fairytale’ of William and Kate.
Newsweek's Nonsense "Who'd Be Kate" Survey|Tom Sykes|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That happens all the way back to the original fairytale, actually.
The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’|Kevin Fallon|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This fairytale of a cosmopolitan-cultural-melting-pot that is the envy of the international community certainly has its charms.
Ellis Island’s Doubled-Edged Legacy|J.P. O’Malley|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It looks a bit like a beautiful tablecloth, laid out on the floor for a fairytale picnic.
Here Comes the Bride…In Flaming Red: Two Centuries of Colorful Wedding Dresses|Liza Foreman|May 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because this is a masculine world, the author of this fairytale is usually identified as the wife of Poul Anderson.
The Piebald Hippogriff|Karen Anderson
Let fairytale of mine go for a firefly that now flashes, now is dark, but may flash again.
A Dish Of Orts|George MacDonald
Nature is mood-engendering, thought-provoking: such ought the sonata, such ought the fairytale to be.
A Dish Of Orts|George MacDonald
We always consider life as a fairytale, in which every good action must be rewarded by a visible wonder.
An "Attic" Philosopher, Complete|Emile Souvestre
What one can see through the wide-open veranda is very pretty; I will admit that it resembles the landscape of a fairytale.
Madame Chrysantheme Complete|Pierre Loti

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)