fairy-tale

Once upon a...

Fairy-tale as an adjective describes something resembling the magical stories told to children—idealized, enchanted, or improbably perfect: a fairy-tale wedding, a fairy-tale ending.

It can suggest something too good to be true or naively optimistic: Her fairy-tale expectations about marriage didn't survive the first year.

The noun is usually two words: fairy tale.

magic

spell

Arrange letters correctly

  • curseInvoked harm through words
  • wandThin ceremonial stick
  • potionEnchanted liquid mixture

enchantment · transformation · wish · charm · bewitched · spellbound · incantation · sorcery · invisibility · shape-shifting

creatures

dragon

Legendary fire-breathing reptile

  • unicornMythical one-horned horse
  • witchPractitioner of dark arts
  • goblinMalicious folklore creature

troll · ogre · pixie · mermaid · giant · dwarf · elf · genie · griffin · centaur

settings

castle

Fortified medieval residence

kingdom · village · palace · dungeon · happily-ever-after

motifs

quest

Seeking journey for something

disguise · prophecy · test · forbidden · rags-to-riches · punishment

narrative

story

Account of events

  • parableInstructive allegorical narrative
  • allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
  • moralConcerning right conduct

lesson · folklore · retelling · adaptation · archetype

Categories
Opposites
realism vs fantasy

fairy-talerealistic

True to life

real · factual · true · nonfiction · documentary

outcome quality

fairy-talenightmarish

Frightening like bad dreams

tragic · catastrophic · grim · disastrous · heartbreaking

significance/gravitas

fairy-talegrave

Serious and worrying

serious · weighty · solemn · significant · consequential

Family

fairytale, fairytales

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G