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
-
When the worst-case scenario of overindulging was losing an afternoon or buying too many snacks, the genre could stretch that experience into something playful and surreal.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
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The bar puts playful twists on classic cocktails, offering things like a tahini old fashioned ($20), complementing the cocktail’s gentle sweetness with a nutty note.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The original is set in an Australian rainforest populated by fairies, one of whom accidentally shrinks a logger to fairy size.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Garden Figurine Every fairy garden needs a few enchanting creatures to truly bring it to life.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Using Too Many Small Bins The more bins, the merrier?—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Mau's reckless band of merry men inevitably leave a trail of bodies in their wake, leading police captain Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura) to investigate the criminal takeover of Janix.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The puckish figure draws heavily on Nordic fairy tales, including stories of elves.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Not as great of a kids’ parade as the one at Christmas with elves and Santa Claus and toys and snowmen.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And thank the faeries for that.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The move forces her to plunge herself into his fantastical maze-realm to retrieve him in 13 hours, lest he be turned into a goblin.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This one just happens to involve wizards, goblins, and one savage, half-blind dragon.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For example, a dwarf galaxy in isolation might need as long as 14 billion years — essentially the age of the universe — to fully reach its stable form.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Look for taller varieties and avoid dwarfs.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fay. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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