as in beloved
granted special treatment or attention
she had been the teacher's fair-haired pupil—the one who could do no wrong
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Recent Examples of fair-haired
Unlike the legend in Shakespeare’s Hamlet — whose rejection by the Prince of Denmark sparks her unraveling — this fair-haired singing socialite will not be losing the plot.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Initially, instrumental music is playing, but once the band dies down, a fair-haired youth starts singing, countertenor-like.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 2025
Tempest, a fair-haired and athletic twenty-six-year-old, was from Bradford, an industrial city in northern England which was then the global capital of the wool trade.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Legend has it that in 1327, Petrarch caught sight of a fair-haired, married woman named Laura in the church of Saint-Claire and fell head over heels, inspiring ardent daily writings of passion, anguish and ultimately despair.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
Pavan was two months shy of 18, fair-haired and lanky.
—Mari Saito, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
The replication crisis has debunked many of psychology’s fair-haired hypotheses, but for the marshmallow test, things have only become more interesting.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Initially, instrumental music is playing, but once the band dies down, a fair-haired youth starts singing, countertenor-like.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 27 July 2025
Tempest, a fair-haired and athletic twenty-six-year-old, was from Bradford, an industrial city in northern England which was then the global capital of the wool trade.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Legend has it that in 1327, Petrarch caught sight of a fair-haired, married woman named Laura in the church of Saint-Claire and fell head over heels, inspiring ardent daily writings of passion, anguish and ultimately despair.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
Pavan was two months shy of 18, fair-haired and lanky.
—Mari Saito, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Emma has been some fabulous version of blonde for quite some time now, interrupting her fair-haired streak with the occasional brunette detour.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025
The replication crisis has debunked many of psychology’s fair-haired hypotheses, but for the marshmallow test, things have only become more interesting.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fair-haired
Adjective
-
Now, the source material behind that beloved series is making the leap to live theater.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But in order to make good on the movie-ness of it all, Johnson and McCarrol leaped and ran and dived into the sky, all for the sake of booking a concert at the beloved Toronto venue Rivoli.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This Valentine’s Day, Ben Smith and Kelly Dennis will profess their love for each other — and New York City — in front of loved ones, strangers and possibly Batman.—
Andrea Sachs,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Gavern said the online ICE detainee locator, which family members use to find loved ones, often doesn’t update when transfers occur.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Candyland, after all, is strange — inspiring, cherished and definitely strange.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Over 60 members attended the champagne social, which has become a cherished tradition marking the beginning of the final diligence review process.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As gold and silver prices continue to seesaw, one corner of the hedge-fund industry is mining an opportunity from the huge swings in precious metals .—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Zoe was touched that Hannah entrusted her with such precious pieces—especially something as personal as her mom’s wedding dress.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fan favorite and three-time World Series champion, Kiké Hernandez became a free agent after last season and has not signed a new contract.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Borrowing elements from Adidas’ fan-favorite Gazelle style, this version ups the comfort level with a layered gumsole for double the shock absorption.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Outdoors, the home features a darling 80-square-foot front porch that can accommodate small outdoor furniture like rocking chairs, a bistro set, or garden bench.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Cozy floral lanterns are a darling way to spruce up your backyard, patio, or even kitchen table.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Dishes like an onion tart with anchovies emphasize that the best parts of love don’t always smell so sweet.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Just like viewers were drawn to Girard's bubbly, sweet and genuine personality, so was Jung.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If the dearest gentle readers thought the lake scene in Season 4 Part 1 of Bridgerton was steamy, a new teaser has arrived to challenge that notion.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fair-haired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fair-haired. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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