: 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
Don't fall for the fairy tale going around that offshore drilling will lessen our dependence on foreign oil …—Reginald T. Dogan
Reginald T. DoganExamples 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
Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Nothing brings a romantic storyline to life like bringing in one of Swift's most fairy-tale-like tracks — even if the scene is a heartbreaking one.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Like a fish from a fairy tale, a bouquet of hooks threaded through its lips, The Changeling keeps evading capture.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
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Adjective
The titles of Gerasene Demoniac and Something Bad Happened hint at something darker lurking amid the fairy-tale motifs.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Nothing brings a romantic storyline to life like bringing in one of Swift's most fairy-tale-like tracks — even if the scene is a heartbreaking one.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Connecticut Repertory Theatre has a precious gem of a fairy tale flitting about its intimate Studio Theatre space for just a few more performances.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Like a fish from a fairy tale, a bouquet of hooks threaded through its lips, The Changeling keeps evading capture.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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