fairy-tale

adjective

\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

Their study of three fishermen — one of them wears a top hat! — is emblematic of so many early photographs in combining the inexplicable rightness of a fairy tale with the immediacy of something just around the corner. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At Yale: on the threshold and under the volcano," 6 July 2018 The blueprints include a variety of genre stories, like a fairy tale about a magical princess or the story of an alien invasion, that require listeners to offer names and other bits (such as a favorite dessert) that Alexa incorporates. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "5 Cool Things You Can Do With Amazon Alexa's Customizable Skills," 19 Apr. 2018 This ever-smiling, strong free spirit found her prince, fell in love and in turn made a cynical world believe in fairy tales again. — USA TODAY, "Meghan Markle, Adam Rippon, Issa Rae hit 'Time' 100 Most Influential list," 19 Apr. 2018 In fairy tales, princes are charming and stepsisters are wicked. — Stmichaelschool, cleveland.com, "St. Michael School Drama Club Presents "Mirror Image": Community Voices," 24 Jan. 2018 Following his departure from Barcelona, the midfield maestro travelled to Russia this summer in hopes of one last hurrah before bowing out; a second World Cup triumph would've been a fairy tale. — SI.com, "Andres Iniesta Posts Emotional Farewell Announcing Retirement From Spain," 3 July 2018 Desus and Mero) Getty Images (2) Comedy duo Desus Nice and The Kid Mero—real names Daniel Baker and Joel Martinez—are a fairy tale for the internet age. — Time Staff, Time, "The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet," 28 June 2018 Per Vogue, the shower took place in Atlanta, and the theme was Bronx fairy tale. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Cardi B's "Bardi" Baby Shower Was A Real Bronx Fairy Tale," 28 June 2018 But of course, this is a fairy tale and Shurtliff is a master storyteller. — The Christian Science Monitor, "4 delightful new books for middle-grade readers," 7 June 2018

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.