Cinderella

noun

Cin·​der·​el·​la ˌsin-də-ˈre-lə How to pronounce Cinderella (audio)
: one resembling the fairy-tale Cinderella: such as
a
: one suffering undeserved neglect
b
: one suddenly lifted from obscurity to honor or significance
Cinderella adjective

Examples of Cinderella in a Sentence

a company that is the Cinderella of the computer industry The team is the Cinderella of the tournament.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the next fortnight, viewers will see heartbreak, triumph, Cinderella stories and real royalty. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 For Queen, that was during the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, his fiery Maryland team against a motley Colorado State crew dripping with Cinderella potential. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025 The comedian's film credits following The Lion King include Cinderella (1997), How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), For Colored Girls (2010), Top Five (2014), Nobody's Fool (2018) and Till (2022). Diane J. Cho, People.com, 24 June 2025 The Commanders' Cinderella story ultimately ended in the NFC Championship Game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, but the message was clear: Daniels had arrived. Victor Williams, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Cinderella

Word History

Etymology

after Cinderella, fairy-tale heroine who is used as a drudge by her stepmother but ends up married to a prince

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Cinderella was in 1840

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cinderella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Cinderella. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on Cinderella

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!