fairy godmother
2
4.6
- noun
- /ˈfɛri ˈɡɑːdmʌðər/
:
hada madrina
- In times of trouble, you can always count on Sarah to be your fairy godmother, offering support and guidance when you need it most.
Examples
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You're like my fairy godmother.
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You didn't know you had a fairy godmother, did you?
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What kind of fairy godmother would I be?
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You really are my fairy godmother.
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I met a fairy godmother.
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Honey, your fairy godmother's here.
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But she's more like a fairy godmother than like a real mother.
Fiction book (1990) -
I'm your fairy godmother.
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After losing her job, Maria felt hopeless, but her best friend acted like a fairy godmother by helping her find a new one.
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When I was struggling to pay my bills, my neighbor became a fairy godmother, offering to lend me money to get back on my feet.
Synonyms
13
3.7
A woman who supports and guides people or projects, often as a mentor
3
3.2
A woman who cares for and guides someone like a parent
1
9.9
A woman who gives money and help to others but looks down on them
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'fairy' (a magical being) with 'godmother' (a female benefactor or mentor): a woman who provides help, typically with a magical or fortunate quality. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'hada madrina', French 'fée marraine') and follows transparent noun+noun semantics that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand.
Etymology
Fairy godmother is also used for a real woman who gives sudden, generous help because she acts like the story fairy who 'grants wishes' and fixes a hard situation. So people call a woman who supports someone in need a 'fairy godmother'.