fairy
10 synonyms for fairy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small, magical being of human shape, often shown with wings in folklore and fiction.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use fairy
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
fairy tale
fairy godmother
tooth fairy
"Fairy" used as slang for a gay man is dated and offensive — avoid it in that sense.
Etymology
From Old French faerie, "enchantment," built from fae ("fay") plus "-erie." Originally meant the state of enchantment itself before coming to mean an individual magical creature.
Full origin of fairy →Frequently asked questions
What does “fairy” mean?
The word “fairy” means a small, magical being of human shape, often shown with wings in folklore and fiction. In plain terms, a small magical creature from folklore and fantasy stories.
How do you pronounce “fairy”?
“Fairy” is pronounced FEH-uh-ree (/ˈfɛəɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “fairy” in a sentence?
Here is “fairy” used in a sentence: “The children left a note for the tooth fairy.”
What part of speech is “fairy”?
“Fairy” is a noun.
Where does the word “fairy” come from?
The word “fairy” comes from Old French. From Old French faerie, "enchantment," built from fae ("fay") plus "-erie." Originally meant the state of enchantment itself before coming to mean an individual magical creature.
Is “fairy” a common word?
“Fairy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between a fairy and a pixie?
'Fairy' is the broad term for a small, magical, human-shaped being of folklore, often shown with wings. A pixie is a more specific figure from English folklore, usually portrayed as tiny, mischievous, and typically wingless, so a pixie is often treated as one kind of fairy.
Is the plural of fairy 'fairies' or 'fairys'?
The correct plural is 'fairies'. Because the word ends in a consonant plus y, the y changes to i before adding -es, following the same rule as 'city' to 'cities'.
What is the difference between fairy and faerie?
'Fairy' is the standard modern spelling. 'Faerie' (or 'faery') is an older, literary spelling that writers use deliberately to evoke traditional folklore, and it can also refer to the enchanted realm where fairies live rather than one being.
Is it 'fairy tale' or 'fairytale'?
As a noun, it is traditionally written as two words: 'she read a fairy tale'. When used as an adjective before a noun it is usually hyphenated, as in 'a fairy-tale ending', though the single word 'fairytale' is also common, particularly in British English.
