fairy-tale
1 of 2adjective
ˈfer-ē-ˌtāl 
: 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
fairy tale
2 of 2noun
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 Zimmerman
Synonyms
Noun
- fable
- fabrication
- falsehood
- falsity
- fib
- lie
- mendacity
- prevarication
- story
- tale
- taradiddle
- tarradiddle
- untruth
- whopper
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2022 The end of the fairy tale was the beginning of Diana’s emergence as a modern role model. Roxanne Roberts, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2022 GINNIFER & JOSH Their love story has almost been out of a fairy tale. People Staff, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2022 This year marks the 25th anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the groundbreaking television film adaptation of the iconic French fairy tale. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 23 Aug. 2022 The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen depicts a mermaid becoming human and is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name. David Nikel, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 American faith in the Fed chairman is based on a kind of national fairy tale about the 1970s. Wsj Opinion Staff, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022 Netflix released the latest trailer for the stop-motion take on the fairy tale. Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2022 Vingegaard’s entire career has been nothing short of a fairy tale played out on two wheels and on fast forward. New York Times, 24 July 2022 See More
Noun
Eric Pinder directs a spooky staging of Engelbert Humperdinck’s version of the fairy tale. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2022 The end of the fairy tale was the beginning of Diana’s emergence as a modern role model. Roxanne Roberts, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2022 GINNIFER & JOSH Their love story has almost been out of a fairy tale. People Staff, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2022 This year marks the 25th anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the groundbreaking television film adaptation of the iconic French fairy tale. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 23 Aug. 2022 The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen depicts a mermaid becoming human and is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name. David Nikel, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 American faith in the Fed chairman is based on a kind of national fairy tale about the 1970s. Wsj Opinion Staff, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022 Netflix released the latest trailer for the stop-motion take on the fairy tale. Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2022 Vingegaard’s entire career has been nothing short of a fairy tale played out on two wheels and on fast forward. New York Times, 24 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1904, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
fairy tale
noun
: a simple children's story about magical creatures