as in beloved
granted special treatment or attention
she had been the teacher's fair-haired pupil—the one who could do no wrong
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Recent Examples of fair-haired
Unlike the legend in Shakespeare’s Hamlet — whose rejection by the Prince of Denmark sparks her unraveling — this fair-haired singing socialite will not be losing the plot.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Initially, instrumental music is playing, but once the band dies down, a fair-haired youth starts singing, countertenor-like.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 2025
Tempest, a fair-haired and athletic twenty-six-year-old, was from Bradford, an industrial city in northern England which was then the global capital of the wool trade.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Legend has it that in 1327, Petrarch caught sight of a fair-haired, married woman named Laura in the church of Saint-Claire and fell head over heels, inspiring ardent daily writings of passion, anguish and ultimately despair.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
Pavan was two months shy of 18, fair-haired and lanky.
—Mari Saito, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
The replication crisis has debunked many of psychology’s fair-haired hypotheses, but for the marshmallow test, things have only become more interesting.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Initially, instrumental music is playing, but once the band dies down, a fair-haired youth starts singing, countertenor-like.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 2025
Tempest, a fair-haired and athletic twenty-six-year-old, was from Bradford, an industrial city in northern England which was then the global capital of the wool trade.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Legend has it that in 1327, Petrarch caught sight of a fair-haired, married woman named Laura in the church of Saint-Claire and fell head over heels, inspiring ardent daily writings of passion, anguish and ultimately despair.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
Pavan was two months shy of 18, fair-haired and lanky.
—Mari Saito, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
The replication crisis has debunked many of psychology’s fair-haired hypotheses, but for the marshmallow test, things have only become more interesting.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fair-haired
Adjective
-
In addition to honoring her grandkids through her jewelry, the Queen also honored her beloved dogs recently in the form of a brooch.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
One of the stock show’s most popular events, the junior steer show attracts kids as young as 9 from all over the state, who flock to Fort Worth to present their beloved animals to an eagle-eyed judge.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In 1980 in the waning days of White rule, Bobo is torn between her mother (Davidtz), determined to keep loved ones and their farm safe, and her Black friends wanting to reclaim their land.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Amazon is packed with Travel + Leisure–loved luggage from Samsonite, chic and durable styles from Delsey Paris, and even multi-piece luggage sets worth snagging now for upcoming travel.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Candyland, after all, is strange — inspiring, cherished and definitely strange.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Over 60 members attended the champagne social, which has become a cherished tradition marking the beginning of the final diligence review process.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Prices for precious metals have been soaring as investors look for safer places to park their money amid threats of tariffs, still-high inflation, political strife and mountains of debt for governments worldwide.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Zhu highlighted innovations, such as the 2023 cross-border payment using digital RMB for precious metals.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Her favorite sneakers, her contact lenses, her purse.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
As groups of amateur boxers stream into the Paris gym for class, Khelif slips away to grab a bite at her favorite Algerian café.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Outdoors, the home features a darling 80-square-foot front porch that can accommodate small outdoor furniture like rocking chairs, a bistro set, or garden bench.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Cozy floral lanterns are a darling way to spruce up your backyard, patio, or even kitchen table.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This crowd pleaser, invented by bartender Sam Ross in 2008, gets its charm from two different bittersweet Italian liqueurs, even though the resulting cocktail is neither particularly bitter nor sweet.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Mandarins Mandarins, including clementines and tangerines, are smaller, sweeter, and easier to peel than regular oranges.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If the dearest gentle readers thought the lake scene in Season 4 Part 1 of Bridgerton was steamy, a new teaser has arrived to challenge that notion.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fair-haired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fair-haired. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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