: characteristic of or suitable to a fairy tale
especially
: marked by seemingly unreal beauty, perfection, luck, or happiness
led a fairy-tale life
a store clerk's fairy-tale romance
1
a
: a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (such as fairies, wizards, and goblins)
enjoyed the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid"
called also fairy story
b
: a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending
those balletic fairy tales in which a new corps member steps in for an injured principal at the last minute and delivers a splendid performance—
Margaret Willis
Margaret Willis2
: a made-up story usually designed to mislead
an old-fashioned fairy tale depicting revolutionists as demigods—Jonathan Zimmerman
Jonathan ZimmermanSynonyms
Examples of fairy-tale in a Sentence
Noun
the fairy tale about the sleeping princess
Everything he told us about his happy marriage was just a fairy tale.
Recent Examples on the WebBecca Longmire, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
This fairy-tale cottage gazebo illustrates how to dress for success.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2024
Bayer Leverkusen, instead, has stepped up, a fairy-tale success story that reads like a searing critique at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, crystallizing a sense of waywardness, of lost purpose, that has been festering for some time.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2024
America seemed headed for an economic fairy-tale ending in late 2023.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Tripadvisor recently featured 10 spectacular, open-to-the-public castles in Europe, Japan and here in California as the best places to conjure fairy-tale dreams.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Her films, although typically set in or near the present day, are suffused with an almost primordial air of fairy-tale enchantment.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
The former Kate Middleton, who married William in a fairy-tale wedding in 2011, has boosted the popularity and appeal of the British monarchy worldwide more than any royal since Princess Diana.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
The perfectly orchestrated fairy-tale grandeur (combined with copious media coverage) has fueled a longstanding fascination with the royals.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024
Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 24 May 2024
While Rise of Red is not a direct continuation of the 1997 movie, Brandy and Montalban still get to play out a future for the beloved fairy tale icons, long after their happily ever after.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 May 2024
The album's original title, Enchanted, was changed by her label's president after believing the song's themes were less about fairy tales and more about real-life experiences — from romance to heartbreak.
—Nicole Sands, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
In the books, Harold goes on a treasure hunt, creates a fairy tale, visits the North Pole, and travels to the sky and the circus.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 22 May 2024
The Modern Fairies By Clare Pollard Avid Reader: 272 pages, $28
(July 23)
Those in search of a bawdy fairy tale should look no further than Pollard’s novel set during the reign of Louis XIV.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
May 7, 2024 In 2019 Hannah Brown was in the middle of her very own fairy tale.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 7 May 2024
The rapper carried a fabric bouquet made up of the Flor de Maga, which is the national flower of Puerto Rico; along with a rose, and a flax plant, which is what Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on in the original fairy tale, according to Vogue.
—Tabitha Parent, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Think of the Met Gala as a royal ball in fairy tale movies.
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 6 May 2024
Adjective
The Kardashians star added a matching lace mini skirt and ivory Vivienne Westwood mini handbag to complete the fairy-tale look.
—Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
This fairy-tale cottage gazebo illustrates how to dress for success.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2024
Bayer Leverkusen, instead, has stepped up, a fairy-tale success story that reads like a searing critique at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, crystallizing a sense of waywardness, of lost purpose, that has been festering for some time.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2024
America seemed headed for an economic fairy-tale ending in late 2023.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Tripadvisor recently featured 10 spectacular, open-to-the-public castles in Europe, Japan and here in California as the best places to conjure fairy-tale dreams.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Her films, although typically set in or near the present day, are suffused with an almost primordial air of fairy-tale enchantment.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
The former Kate Middleton, who married William in a fairy-tale wedding in 2011, has boosted the popularity and appeal of the British monarchy worldwide more than any royal since Princess Diana.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
The perfectly orchestrated fairy-tale grandeur (combined with copious media coverage) has fueled a longstanding fascination with the royals.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Loosely adapted from a short story by Mary Gaitskill, this is a tender, perceptive fairy tale about erotic love, with some very good spanking scenes.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 24 May 2024
While Rise of Red is not a direct continuation of the 1997 movie, Brandy and Montalban still get to play out a future for the beloved fairy tale icons, long after their happily ever after.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 May 2024
The album's original title, Enchanted, was changed by her label's president after believing the song's themes were less about fairy tales and more about real-life experiences — from romance to heartbreak.
—Nicole Sands, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
In the books, Harold goes on a treasure hunt, creates a fairy tale, visits the North Pole, and travels to the sky and the circus.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 22 May 2024
The Modern Fairies By Clare Pollard Avid Reader: 272 pages, $28
(July 23)
Those in search of a bawdy fairy tale should look no further than Pollard’s novel set during the reign of Louis XIV.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
May 7, 2024 In 2019 Hannah Brown was in the middle of her very own fairy tale.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 7 May 2024
The rapper carried a fabric bouquet made up of the Flor de Maga, which is the national flower of Puerto Rico; along with a rose, and a flax plant, which is what Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on in the original fairy tale, according to Vogue.
—Tabitha Parent, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Think of the Met Gala as a royal ball in fairy tale movies.
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fairy-tale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fairy-tale
Cite this Entry
“Fairy-tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy-tale. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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