fairy tale

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

• lie
• tale
• story

Examples of fairy tale in a Sentence

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

Like all fairy tales, the love story between Dua Lipa and Callum Turner has reached its happy ending. —Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026

John Lithgow is ready for a new fairy tale starring his Shrek character, Lord Farquaad. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

So why did this fairy tale speak to me so strongly? —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure presented by 2nd Star Productions. —Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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