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noun Uncommon

fable

FAY-buhl
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Fable (noun) means a short story, often with animal characters, written to teach a moral lesson. Example: “Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare teaches that patience beats speed.”

noun
1
A short story, often with animal characters, written to teach a moral lesson.
"Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare teaches that patience beats speed."
"She grew up on a diet of fairy tales and fables."
2
A made-up story or claim; something untrue.
"His account of the battle was mostly fable, invented to make himself look brave."
verb
1
To make up and tell a story as though it were true.
"The old sailor loved to fable about sea monsters he had supposedly fought."

How to use fable

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA short teaching-story (often with talking animals) or, more loosely, any made-up tale.

Common mistake

A fable teaches a moral lesson; a myth explains the origins of the world or gods; a legend is presented as historical fact. Don't use them interchangeably.

Easily confused with
myth → legend →
Common pairings
a moral fable fables and legends the fable goes that
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Word forms

Plural
fables
Third person singular
fables
Past tense
fabled
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Aesop's _____ of the tortoise and the hare teaches that patience beats speed.

Etymology

From Old French fable, from Latin fabula ("story"), rooted in fari, "to speak" — the same root gives us "fame" and "affable".

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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parable allegory myth fairy tale legend fabrication fiction apologue

Antonyms

history fact

Related words

fact history story past account truth construction opinion

Rhymes for fable

able cable table arable viable liable stable tenable parable affable amiable notable
See all rhymes for fable →

Frequently asked questions

What does “fable” mean?
The word “fable” means a short story, often with animal characters, written to teach a moral lesson. In plain terms, a short teaching-story (often with talking animals) or, more loosely, any made-up tale.
How do you pronounce “fable”?
“Fable” is pronounced FAY-buhl (/ˈfeɪbəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “fable” in a sentence?
Here is “fable” used in a sentence: “Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare teaches that patience beats speed.”
What part of speech is “fable”?
Depending on how it is used, “fable” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “fable” come from?
The word “fable” comes from Latin. From Old French fable, from Latin fabula ("story"), rooted in fari, "to speak" — the same root gives us "fame" and "affable".
Is “fable” a common word?
“Fable” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “fable” have?
“Fable” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a short story, often with animal characters, written to teach a moral lesson.

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fact history story past account truth construction opinion