fey
Americanadjective
-
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.
adjective
-
interested in or believing in the supernatural
-
attuned to the supernatural; clairvoyant; visionary
-
fated to die; doomed
-
in a state of high spirits or unusual excitement, formerly believed to presage death
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fey
before 900; Middle English; Old English fǣge doomed to die; cognate with Old Norse feigr doomed, German feig cowardly
Explanation
Have you met someone who speaks like they’re casting spells and has a distant look in their eyes? That’s a fey person, someone who seems like they come from another world, kind of like an elf. There’s a fey girl, let’s call her Faye. Fey Faye is not an elf nor a witch, but she seems supernatural in a vague way, and her voice sounds like a magic flute. Fey comes from the Old English word fǣge, or literally “fated to die soon,” which refers to that odd good mood a person is in right before they die. Don’t worry, that definition isn’t used anymore, and fey Faye isn’t dying. But she is kind of spooky.
Vocabulary lists containing fey
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
City of Bones
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Homme trills cryptic lines like “Keep your hair down, don’t turn around” with a fey tone reminiscent of Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Emerging from a cult of nonpersonality, where ordinary figures with unassuming names like Ian Brown ascended to British music royalty, Brett Anderson, Suede’s fey and foppish androgyne, reintroduced theatricality and glamour to the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2025
But she complemented the Welsh actor who "brings a furious fey playfulness and vulnerability" to his character.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
All three victims are Lymp’s affluent half-siblings, from whom he is estranged: Dr. Marian Harmon, West Mills’ officious Black pediatrician; her sporty younger sister Marva; and Lazarus, their fey brother.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
But then he heard about the kinds of blades that could be wrought only by the fey, so he came looking for us.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
