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
-
May 21 – June 20 A playful idea could attract the right ally faster than expected today.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Leo July 23 – August 22 A playful risk could turn into something surprisingly grand today.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Had my mother arranged these dragons to meet the fairy on our path?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Creative touches have been placed throughout, so visitors will want to keep an eye out for the fairy gardens and fairy homes under various plants.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The picture’s eclectic cast, which included Anouk Aimée, Greta Scacchi and Maximilian Schell (with cameos by Faye Dunaway, Holly Hunter and Jeff Goldblum), swirled its merry way across the grand event in search of romance, fame and the ever-elusive movie deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s also caviar and cookies and Christmas trees and Housewives and Bravolebrities, all surrounded by twink elves in Christmas G-strings.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
The company behind that trio of elves, some of the most iconic mascots in pop culture, is the same corporation that put breakfast on the table in the first place.—
Heather Bushman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The plays are set in locations as varied as courts, forests, battlefields, and even the realm of faerie.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And thank the faeries for that.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The maker of ChatGPT has an explanation for all the goblin talk.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Select dwarf or short varieties that thrive in the confines of a large container, at least 14 inches wide.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
-
Plant lavender in well-draining terracotta pots and consider dwarf varieties like ‘Thumbelina Leigh’ and ‘Munstead’ for smaller pots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fay. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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