: 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
Don't fall for the fairy tale going around that offshore drilling will lessen our dependence on foreign oil …—Reginald T. Dogan
Reginald T. DoganExamples 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
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
Flick previously covered the Falcons for Sports Illustrated and chronicled the Indiana Hoosiers’ fairy-tale run to the national championship in the 2025-26 season.
—AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
At its foot lies Zermatt, which is part glitzy ski resort, part snowy setting for a fairy tale.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fairy-tale
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Adjective
From romantic ruins to grand estates, these fairy-tale sites deserve a place on your Emerald Isle itinerary.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
Flick previously covered the Falcons for Sports Illustrated and chronicled the Indiana Hoosiers’ fairy-tale run to the national championship in the 2025-26 season.
—AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
From Hollywood to Shakespeare to fairy tales, these patterns are hiding in plain sight.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
At its foot lies Zermatt, which is part glitzy ski resort, part snowy setting for a fairy tale.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
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 28 May. 2026.
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