: 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 ZimmermanSynonyms
Examples 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 WebBecca Longmire, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
This fairy-tale cottage gazebo illustrates how to dress for success.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for fairy-tale 
Adjective
The Kardashians star added a matching lace mini skirt and ivory Vivienne Westwood mini handbag to complete the fairy-tale look.
—Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
This fairy-tale cottage gazebo illustrates how to dress for success.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for fairy-tale
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fairy-tale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fairy-tale
Cite this Entry
“Fairy-tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy-tale. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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