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fairytale

fairytale

19 2.1
A children's story about magic and imaginary places
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛrɪˌteɪl/
translation icon : cuento de hadas
  • The children listened eagerly as their grandmother read them a fairytale about a brave knight and a dragon.

Examples

  • You know, with those shoes on, you remind me of a prince in a fairytale.

  • The picturesque landscape consists of milky white sand dunes, fairytale forests, and wind-blown beaches.

    Blog text (7)
  • But yes, it really would be nice to see some more fairytale magic for a change.

    Blog text (29)
  • - It's like something out of a fairytale.

  • The story structure he presents is a typical fairytale that many people expect to experience.

    Blog text (11)
  • After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage?

    Blog text (8)
  • Storybrooke, the fairytale world that was, and the fairytale world of the present.

    Blog text (32)
  • We don't need to meet every possible fairytale character this year.

    Blog text (32)
  • The Denmark of Hrolfr Kraki is like a kingdom in a fairytale, where incredible things happen.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The picturesque heart of Scotland, with its castle on a fairytale plateau above the Firth of Forth.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

fairy tale
vsfairytale
61 1.0

A traditional story for children with magic and strange beings

is any children's magical story set in enchanted lands rather than only traditional forms
fairy story
vsfairytale
  • Baby Talk
1 1.4

A story for children about fairies and magic

is broader and covers children's tales set in imaginary lands and enchantment

Antonyms

1.4

The way things really are, not how we imagine or wish

34 2.1

Books or writing about real people, events, and facts

How Magical

fantasy
93 4.3
fairytale
19 2.1
folk tale
6 2.7
story
1.0

Surface Forms

fairytale singular
fairytales plural

Morphology

fairytale = fairy + tale (transparent) = fairy + tale

The compound is a straightforward combination of 'fairy' + 'tale' referring to a story about fairies or magical events.

Etymology

Fairytale comes from two simple parts: fairy (a small, magical being) and tale ('story'). It originally meant a story about magic and enchanted places, which is why we use it for children's stories full of wonder and strange creatures.