fairy godmother

American  

[fair-ee god-muhth-er] / ˈfɛər i ˈgɒdˌmʌð ər /

noun

fairy godmothers plural

1. a kindly sponsor or guardian; godmother.

2. a fairy-tale character who uses magical powers to help a hero or heroine.

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fairy godmother British  

noun

1. a character in certain fairy stories who brings unexpected benefits to the hero or heroine

2. any benefactress, esp an unknown one

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fairy godmother Idioms  

1. A generous benefactor, as in An anonymous fairy godmother donated the money for the new organ. This expression alludes to a stock character in fairy tales such as Cinderella, who gives unexpected and much needed assistance. [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fairy godmothers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fairy godmother

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fairy godmother

I think of the character Jonny as this amazing, queer, fairy godmother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

A teacher has gained the reputation of being a fairy godmother - by gifting almost 1,000 free prom dresses worth up to £750 to teenage girls.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025

A kind of deus ex machina, he pops into the novel at key points, offering incredible amounts of money like a possibly sinister fairy godmother in a Brothers Grimm tale.

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

If your greatest wish is for McDonald’s to offer a Luther Burger, your fairy godmother has good news.

From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2024

“Come on! You need a fairy godmother to work some magic on you, honey.”

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi