fairy-tale

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfer-ē-ˌtāl 

: 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

fairy tale

2 of 2

noun

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

2

: 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

Synonyms of fairy-tale

Noun

• lie
• tale
• story

Examples 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

Adjective

The pointed-toe pumps are adorned with crystal embellishment on the vamp and the counter, which gave the pumps a whimsical and fairy-tale feel. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Ahead of the movie’s release, the marketing team behind Wicker (which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this past January) has already worked audiences into a froth by presenting it as a wholly horny and weird fairy-tale fantasia. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Noun

It's based on a Russian fairy tale called the Firebird, which is about a young prince who rescues a coterie of princesses from an evil sorcerer. — Libby Smith, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Ron Koslow, the three-time Emmy nominee who brought the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast into modern times for the beloved CBS fantasy series that starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, has died. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fairy-tale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

fairy tale

noun

1

: a simple children's story about imaginary beings

called also fairy story

2

: a made-up story usually meant to mislead