fey

[ fey ]

See synonyms for fey on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

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. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for fey

fey

/ (feɪ) /

adjective

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

Origin of fey

Old English fæge marked out for death; related to Old Norse feigr doomed, Old High German feigi

Derived forms of fey

feyness, noun

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

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