fairy

fairy — noun

1. An imaginary small being in folk stories, often shown as a tiny winged person wh

1.nounA2
Definition

An imaginary small being in folk stories, often shown as a tiny winged person who can perform magic and influence events in human lives.

Example

Talia's grandmother told her a tale about a fairy who led a lost child home.

In the school play, Saira played a fairy wearing a silver costume with wings.

a/an + adjective + fairy (physical description pattern)

Common collocations
  • fairy godmother
  • fairy tale
  • fairy wings
  • fairy dust
  • fairy kingdom
  • believe in fairies
Synonyms
  • sprite

    more poetic and old-fashioned; often tied to a specific natural element like water or air

  • pixie

    mischievous rather than helpful; known for playing tricks on people

  • elf

    taller in many fantasy traditions; usually has pointed ears and lives in forests

Grammar Patterns

a/the fairy

fairy + noun (fairy tale, fairy godmother)

Common Mistakes

I saw a fairy in the forest last night.
I read a story about a fairy who lives in the forest.
Fairies are imaginary beings from stories and folklore, not real creatures you can see in nature.

2. An old-fashioned informal word for a person whose behaviour or appearance seems

2.nounB2
Definition

An old-fashioned informal word for a person whose behaviour or appearance seems odd, unusual, or overly delicate to other people.

Example

The village children called Gabriela a fairy because she talked to her plants every day.

called/seen as a fairy — informal label for odd behaviour

Felipe collected old teapots and wore flowery shirts, so neighbours called him a fairy.

Synonyms
  • oddball

    neutral and informal; describes someone with quirky habits

  • eccentric

    more formal; describes unusual but often charming behaviour

Grammar Patterns

a bit of a fairy

called/thought... a fairy

Usage Note

This old-fashioned informal meaning is now very rare and easily confused with the offensive slur (sense 3). Modern speakers should avoid it entirely and use words like 'eccentric' or 'oddball' instead.

Common Mistakes

He is a fairy' (intending eccentric, but taken as an offensive slur).
He is a bit eccentric.
This sense is outdated and carries serious risk of being misunderstood as the hateful slur.

3. A hateful slur directed at a gay person. This word must never be spoken — it cau

3.nounC1
Definition

A hateful slur directed at a gay person. This word must never be spoken — it causes deep emotional harm to anyone who hears it.

Example

Calling a person a fairy as an insult is hateful and causes real harm.

should never use — explicit warning against using the word

The teacher explained that fairy is an extremely offensive slur against gay men.

Grammar Patterns

call someone a fairy

use fairy as a slur

Usage Note

This is one of the most offensive slurs against gay men. DO NOT use this word under any circumstances, even in quoted speech or in jest. Using it — or even repeating it to ask about its meaning — can cause serious emotional harm. The respectful and neutral term is 'gay man'.

Common Mistakes

Some people use fairy to mean a gay man.
Fairy is an extremely offensive slur for a gay man.
Presenting the word neutrally downplays the harm it causes.
He called his friend a fairy as a joke.
He called his friend a hateful slur.
There is no acceptable joking or affectionate use of this word.

Word family

  • fairy-like
    adjectiveB2
  • faerie
    nounC2
  • faerie
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe small magical beings in folklore, but each carries a distinct personality and origin. Fairy is the broadest and most common term — a human-like being with wings found in European fairy tales, often helpful but sometimes mischievous. Sprite is more poetic and ethereal, tied closely to natural elements like water or forests, and rarely has a defined personality. Pixie is specifically mischievous and trickster-like, especially in British folklore from Devon and Cornwall. Elf varies by tradition: in older tales elves are small and pointed-ear beings, but in modern fantasy (following Tolkien) they are tall, graceful, and dignified. In everyday conversation, fairy is the only word widely known to children; sprite, pixie, and elf appear mostly in literature, fantasy games, and genre films.

fairy ↗spritepixieelf

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fairy story
  • fairy kingdom
  • fairy ring

Prepositions

  • in (believe in fairies)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Fairy comes from Old French 'faerie', meaning enchantment, magic, or the realm of the fays (magical beings). The French word traces back to Latin 'fata', meaning the Fates — goddesses who controlled human destiny. In medieval English, 'faerie' first meant a magical land or its people, and by the 1300s it referred to the individual creatures themselves. The derogatory use against gay men appeared in early 20th-century American English, around the 1910s–1920s, emerging from stereotypes about effeminacy.