: 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 ZimmermanExamples 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 Web
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Prince William, Princess Kate and Rebirth Disinterest in the monarchy did not last, however, as the fairy-tale romance between Prince William and Princess Kate rekindled interest in the royals.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Chantelle Kincy, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025
Scenic designer Yi-Chien Lee has created a fairy tale-like cottage in The Dottie, a space with comfy seats, great sightlines and a cozy, intimate feel that’s just right for this play.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairy-tale
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Adjective
Netflix doesn’t offer theme parks, decades’ worth of merchandise, or an extensive coterie of fairy-tale princesses for fans to dress up as every Halloween.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Prince William, Princess Kate and Rebirth Disinterest in the monarchy did not last, however, as the fairy-tale romance between Prince William and Princess Kate rekindled interest in the royals.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
Leavenworth itself feels like a fairy tale.
—Chantelle Kincy, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025
Scenic designer Yi-Chien Lee has created a fairy tale-like cottage in The Dottie, a space with comfy seats, great sightlines and a cozy, intimate feel that’s just right for this play.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairy-tale
Cite this Entry
“Fairy-tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy-tale. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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