fairy-tale

\ ˈfer-ē-ˌtāl

Definition of fairy-tale

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

noun

Definition of fairy tale (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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 an old-fashioned fairy tale depicting revolutionists as demigods— Jonathan Zimmerman

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fairy-tale

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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: Noun Among the many stories that make Disneyland Paris unique is that its opening represents Disney’s return to a land that inspired many of the timeless fairy tales shared by Walt Disney in an extraordinary way. — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, "Take a Virtual Tour of Disneyland Paris With This Fascinating Video Series (Video)," 14 Apr. 2020 Choose a story everyone knows, like a fairy tale or a popular kids' movie. — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Has coronavirus in Milwaukee canceled your child's birthday party? Here's how you can still celebrate.," 20 Mar. 2020 The latest young adult novel by Julie C. Dao sounds in many ways like a classic fairy tale. — Lakshmi Gandhi, NBC News, "13 best Asian American children's and young adult books 2019," 10 Nov. 2019 In short, the books are perfect fodder for del Toro, whose visually distinctive work has often centered on fairy tales and fantasy (Pan's Labyrinth), classic horror (Crimson Peak, Mama), monsters (Hellboy, The Shape of Water), and the like. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," 11 Aug. 2019 The third persona, the Blonde, is a symbol, the pure and virginal creature of fairy tales and religious parables. — Elaine Showalter, The New Yorker, "Joyce Carol Oates’s “Blonde” Is the Definitive Study of American Celebrity," 13 Apr. 2020 Once upon a time I was transfixed by an illustration of the Little Match Girl in my grandmother’s old copy of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. — Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, "A Novel That Will Get People Talking," 11 Feb. 2020 Contrary to many wild animals that populate the world of fairy tales and fables, furry Bruin — with a few exceptions — appears as a good-natured, snuggly, and contented being. — David James, Anchorage Daily News, "New book explores mankind’s fascination with bears, from Stone Age to 'Winnie the Pooh’," 31 Aug. 2019 Tallent, who takes pass after pass at her elusive subject, evokes a fisherman in a fairy tale, repeatedly casting his rod. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, "What One Learns from Twenty-Two Years of Writer’s Block," 26 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fairy-tale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.