fairy tale

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fairy tale ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

fairy primrose, fairy ring, fairy shrimp, fairy stone, fairy swallow, fairy tale, fairy-slipper, fairy-tale, fairyfloss, fairyhood, fairyism

Origin of fairy tale

First recorded in 1740–50

Also called fairy story.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fairytale

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
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

It hosts a big, public wedding to remind everyone that it can, as a statement of power, not a fairytale.
The Cult of Royal Porn|Tim Teeman|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You have been giving me a summary of a fairytale, haven't you?
Rossmoyne|Unknown
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
Suppose my child ask me what the fairytale means, what am I to say?
A Dish Of Orts|George MacDonald
We all told our experiences of the day, and Dr. Inglis said: 'But this is the best of all; it is just like a fairytale.'
Elsie Inglis|Eva Shaw McLaren
The processes of germination are as fascinating as a fairytale.
ABC of Vegetable Gardening|Eben Eugene Rexford

British Dictionary definitions for fairytale

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

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

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of fairy tale

Examples from the Web for fairytale

British Dictionary definitions for fairytale

fairy tale

fairy story

noun