: 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
1
a
: 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
Margaret Willis2
: a made-up story usually designed to mislead
an old-fashioned fairy tale depicting revolutionists as demigods—Jonathan Zimmerman
Jonathan ZimmermanExamples 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
Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
But two years after her fairy-tale wedding to Harry at Windsor Castle, the couple infamously decided to step down as senior royals and eventually settled in Montecito, California.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025
Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
However, the world of sports betting is not always a fairy tale.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairy-tale
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Adjective
Donkey provided comic relief, pathos and friendship to Shrek, with the film praised for its humorous twist on fairy-tale tropes.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
But two years after her fairy-tale wedding to Harry at Windsor Castle, the couple infamously decided to step down as senior royals and eventually settled in Montecito, California.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025
Noun
Nicole Kidman's fairy tale life turns into a twisted fable in the trailer for her latest thriller, Holland.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
However, the world of sports betting is not always a fairy tale.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairy-tale
Cite this Entry
“Fairy-tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy-tale. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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