as in playful
given to good-natured joking or teasing
with her slight build and perky manner, the actress was usually cast as the fay young woman who charms all the men in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
in the tale a fay appears in the form of a beautiful and serene woman with an angelic air and a billowy gown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fay
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Almshouse dwellers, sitting in the sun, watching the surging tide and the glistening water, tell of spirits and banshees and fays.
—Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2022
Noun
The series stars McGregor as Count Rostov, a fay member of Czarist Russia’s ruling class, who was living in comfort in his estates until the revolution of 1917 overthrew the old order.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Almshouse dwellers, sitting in the sun, watching the surging tide and the glistening water, tell of spirits and banshees and fays.
—Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fay
Adjective
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Gillet and Kubinyi highlight that dogs, too, tend to become more playful, explorative and relaxed in the presence of their owners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The brown leather exterior means it can be dressed up with office clothes while its size and woven design are playful enough to work with casual looks like Birkenstocks, a tee, and loose jeans.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Will the market continue to trudge along its merry path?—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
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This merry, hour-long holiday extravaganza will be stacked with gifts for Bravo fans and feature a number of Yuletide Bravolebrity performances.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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During one high elf’s dialogue in the original Oblivion, a dissatisfied voice actor can be heard objecting to and then immediately rerecording her line about thieves and their break-ins.—
Jamal Michel,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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The family posed for Christmas photos in matching red formal wear and themed elf onesies in 2023, when Alcala was pregnant with Alianna.—
Nasha Smith,
People.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Unseelie Court is the bastion of malevolent faeries who harm humans for their amusement or to exact revenge.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
27 Nov. 2024
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For instance, people used to hang iron on their doors at night to keep faeries and demons out of their homes (talismans) and a knock on the door in the middle of the night was to be ignored, for surely some evil spirit was lurking outside.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Stripped first of his access to the goblin court, and now of his ability to speak with the dead, Celehar nonetheless still has commitments to the living.—
Natalie Zutter
January 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2025
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Lisa’s Joker is part motivational speaker, part chaos goblin.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fay. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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