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

Despite what seemed like a fairy tale ending to a relationship filled with ups and downs, a source told E! — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's Cutest Couple Moments," 11 Aug. 2019 One of the first kids’ podcasts to grasp podcasts’ storytelling capabilities, this podcast shares kid-friendly renditions of classic stories, fairy tales and original works. — Frannie Ucciferri, Washington Post, "Common Sense Media shares 25 great podcasts for kids," 6 Aug. 2019 But riverboats in Illinois did not spark meaningful economic development in their host communities — certainly not the fairy tales spun to lawmakers to win approval. — Kristen Mcqueary, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Let’s cut to the chase: A Chicago casino must be near downtown," 29 July 2019 The result is a communitarian version of the old individualist fairy tale: the nation as a pristine and consensual community, unsullied by coercion or conquest, which might have a history but doesn’t really have a politics. — Daniel Luban, The New Republic, "The Man Behind National Conservatism," 26 July 2019 Every artist featured in that show was given the chance to make a painting based on their favorite story, book, or fairy tale. — Chris Triunfo, BostonGlobe.com, "Brendan MacAllister," 19 July 2019 With its spires and cobblestoned streets, Prague is a dream for kids who love fairy tales. — Amy Tara Koch, Twin Cities, "Finding European hotel rooms for families can be tough. Here are suggestions in 8 cities.," 6 July 2019 The cinematography is stunning and really does give the film the feeling of a dark fairy tale. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Midsommar is a slasher film with artsy ambitions that doesn’t quite work," 4 July 2019 Storyland was planned as an ambitious playground full of larger-than-life scenes inspired by nursery rhymes and fairy tales. — Bill Van Niekerken, SFChronicle.com, "Rediscovering Storyland: SF Children’s Zoo’s magical beginnings 60 years ago," 3 July 2019

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.