Cinderella

noun

Cin·​der·​el·​la ˌsin-də-ˈre-lə 

: 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

Song isn’t alone in her desire to educate a would-be Cinderella out of her bourgeois striving. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 21 June 2025

Perhaps because the Pacers don’t want to be Cinderella, the Disney princess who needed magic to flip her fortunes. —James Boyd, New York Times, 21 June 2025

The children of villains interact with the children of romantic heroes (including the daughters of Cinderella and Aurora, and the son of Prince Charming). —Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 19 June 2025

The New York Mets have emerged as one of the best teams in baseball this season after investing heavily in the roster following a Cinderella run to the National League Championship Series. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

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

Rhymes for Cinderella

• arabella
• bartonella
• bordetella
• citronella
• columella
• isabella
• klebsiella
• legionella
• mozzarella
• pasteurella
• salmonella
• trichinella