fairy tale
/ˈfer.i ˌteɪl/
NOUN
1. Traditional magical story
A traditional or fictional story, usually intended for children, involving fairies, magical creatures, supernatural events, or imaginary worlds.
1.1. Traditional story with magical elements
A fictional narrative featuring fairies, magical beings, enchanted places, or supernatural events, often told to entertain or teach children.
Synonyms
- fairy story
- fairy tale
- fairy fable
- folk tale
- folktale
- Märchen
Examples
- The children listened to a fairy tale about a princess and a dragon.
- Cinderella is one of the best-known fairy tales in the world.
Related Words
- fable
- legend
- myth
- folk story
- nursery tale
- bedtime story
1.2. Romantic or fantastical story
A fictional narrative involving idealized romance, extraordinary adventures, or imaginary events that seem magical or unreal.
Synonyms
- fantasy
- romance
- fairy story
- fanciful story
Examples
- Their love story seemed like a fairy tale.
- The novel combines elements of romance and fairy tale fantasy.
Related Words
- adventure story
- love story
- fantasy fiction
- romantic fiction
NOUN
2. False or fabricated story
An improbable, invented, or misleading account that is presented as true.
2.1. Fabrication and deliberate falsehood
A made-up account or invented explanation intended to mislead someone or conceal the truth.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Examples
- His explanation about winning the lottery turned out to be a fairy tale.
- She refused to believe another fairy tale about the missing money.
Related Words
- deception
- forgery
- prevarication
- myth
2.2. Highly improbable or exaggerated account
A story that is difficult to believe because it contains exaggerated, unrealistic, or far-fetched claims.
Synonyms
- tall tale
- tall story
- cock-and-bull story
- yarn
- fish story
- far-fetched story
Antonyms
- credible account
- factual report
- truthful statement
Examples
- The salesman told us a fairy tale about how quickly the product would make us rich.
- Nobody believed his fairy tale about escaping from a deserted island.
Related Words
- exaggeration
- urban legend
- fantasy
- myth
ADJECTIVE
3. Idealized or magical quality
Having an unusually beautiful, romantic, fortunate, or magical quality resembling something described in a fairy tale.
3.1. Magical and enchanting appearance
Describes something that has a beautiful, magical, or enchanting appearance reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Synonyms
- magical
- enchanted
- fanciful
- fantastical
- mythical
- mythological
Antonyms
Examples
- The couple held a fairy-tale wedding in a beautiful castle.
- The village looked magical beneath the snow, like a fairy-tale setting.
Related Words
- dreamlike
- whimsical
- otherworldly
- enchanting
3.2. Idealized and romantic experience
Describes an experience, relationship, or outcome that is exceptionally happy, romantic, or fortunate, often in an unrealistic way.
Synonyms
- romantic
- ideal
- idealized
- unreal
- imaginary
- fictitious
Antonyms
Examples
- Their fairy-tale marriage seemed perfect to everyone around them.
- She dreamed of a fairy-tale ending to her difficult journey.
Related Words
- utopian
- dreamy
- legendary
- perfect