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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For a playful yet sweet date night scent, Ledda’s 16 Scenic Rose is a lovely choice.—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Other social media users also joined the conversation, adding playful comments to the thread started by the original person who uploaded the photos.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Robin Hood and his merry men were yeomen of the most courageous sort.—
Charles Hammer,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2025
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Luis Enrique’s merry band of wunderkind’s lap the confetti-laden Allianz Arena.—
Brett Koremenos,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Moms are the do-it-all elves who make the holidays happen.—
Elizabeth Broadbent,
Miami Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
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Mingle with enchanting wizards, witches, elves, fairies, princesses and dragons.—
Caroline Ritzie,
The Enquirer,
25 July 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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Monster cats, women with ravenous mouths in the back of their heads, mountain goblins, mermaids with carp bodies, foxes that transform into samurai messengers—the list goes on.—
Katherine Larson
July 16,
Literary Hub,
16 July 2025
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In fact, Bolg is the name of a goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fay. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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