View synonyms for

fairy tale

[fair-ee teyl]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.

adjective

of, relating to, or suggesting a fairy tale.
a fairy-tale castle.
idealized or romantic, often to an unrealistic extent.
Many people still want to believe in true love and fairy-tale endings.

fairy-tale

adjective

of or relating to a fairy tale
resembling a fairy tale, esp in being extremely happy or fortunate
a true story with a fairy-tale ending
highly improbable
he came out with a fairy-tale account of his achievements

fairy tale

noun

a story about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, esp one of traditional origin told to children
a highly improbable account

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fairy tale¹

First recorded in 1740–50

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The post called her death a "fairy tale" and used antisemitic tropes.

From

Anybody with a passing familiarity with fairy tales knows that wishes can come true, but usually at a price.

From

He urged them to ignore what he predicted would be “fairy tales” from Sotheby’s witnesses.

From

She rhapsodizes in her high-pitched, childish voice that her mom told her "happy endings aren't just in fairy tales, they're real."

From

These workers prefer the weeklong company of like-minded devotees dedicated to bringing to life scenes spun from the imagination, from nature and storybooks, from fairy tales and myth.

From

fairy swallow Faisal

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