fey
[fey]
- British Dialect. doomed; fated to die.
- Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil.
- supernatural; unreal; enchanted: elves, fairies, and other fey creatures.
- being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death.
- whimsical; strange; otherworldly: a strange child with a mysterious smile and a fey manner.
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Origin of fey
before 900; Middle English; Old English fǣge doomed to die; cognate with Old Norse feigr doomed, German feig cowardly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for fey
Contemporary Examples
The two secret ingredients: Poehler and Fey, who transform into clubbing Guidettes with unconventional pickup lines.
In her book Bossypants, Fey claims that her Palin impression did nothing to help net her comedy 30 Rock more viewers.
Annuale This is yet another gem from the first time Fey hosted in 2008.
Rudolph and Fey end the song Natalie Cole style, as each duetting with her unborn child.
As is the Fey way, her opening monologue included some stellar self-deprecating jokes.
Historical Examples
I think I must be fey to-day; you cannot irritate me even when you try.
The Lock And Key LibraryVarious
I'm 'fey' to-day, as the Scotch say, and must 'dree my weird'.
A harum-scarum schoolgirlAngela Brazil
"You're 'fey,' child," she said, as she helped her out of the dandy.
Captain Desmond, V.C.Maud Diver
Into his mind, involuntarily, came the awesome Scotch word “fey.”
The Mistress of ShenstoneFlorence L. Barclay
"The man is fey," said the Duke to himself, listening with a startled gravity.
Doom CastleNeil Munro
fey
- interested in or believing in the supernatural
- attuned to the supernatural; clairvoyant; visionary
- mainly Scot fated to die; doomed
- mainly Scot in a state of high spirits or unusual excitement, formerly believed to presage death
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Word Origin
Old English fæge marked out for death; related to Old Norse feigr doomed, Old High German feigi
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
Word Origin and History for fey
adj.
"of excitement that presages death," from Old English fæge "doomed to die, fated, destines," also "timid, feeble;" and/or from Old Norse feigr, both from Proto-Germanic *faigjo- (cf. Old Saxon fegi, Old Frisian fai, Middle Dutch vege, Middle High German veige "doomed," also "timid," German feige "cowardly"), from PIE *peig- "evil-minded, hostile" (see foe). Preserved in Scottish. Sense of "displaying unearthly qualities" and "disordered in the mind (like one about to die)" led to modern ironic sense of "affected."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper