fairy
gb/fˈɛɹi/ us/fˈɛɹi/
B1
English
~ 8600
tündér, buzi, buzeráns, tündéri, tündérszerű
NOUN
B1
1
tündér
A2
Usage pattern:
a fairy [verb]
In the story, a kind fairy grants the girl three wishes.
A történetben egy jóságos tündér három kívánságot teljesít a lánynak.
The children dressed up as a fairy and a dragon for the school play.
A gyerekek tündérnek és sárkánynak öltöztek az iskolai előadásra.
She imagined a tiny fairy sitting on the flower, sparkling in the sunlight.
A little boy claimed he saw a fairy at the bottom of the garden.
The movie is full of fairies, talking animals, and other magical creatures.
Learner examples
The little girl thinks a fairy lives in the tree.
A kislány azt hiszi, hogy egy tündér lakik a fában.
In this book, a fairy helps the poor boy.
Ebben a könyvben egy tündér segít a szegény fiúnak.
He wears wings and plays a fairy on stage.
A fairy uses magic to help the prince.
Children like stories about fairies and dragons.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fairy' with 'angel'. A fairy is a small magical being from folk stories, usually with powers and sometimes mischievous, while an angel is a religious figure, usually a messenger of God.
Meaning
small magic being with wings
Collocations
fairy tale
|fairy godmother
|tooth fairy
|fairy dust
|fairy wings
|fairy princess
Synonyms
pixie (Often suggests a playful or mischievous small magical being; very close in meaning in children’s stories.)
|
sprite (A small magic being, sometimes linked with water or nature, more common in fantasy or literary contexts.)
|
elf (Similar magical being, usually not winged and sometimes human-sized; common in fantasy like Tolkien.)
Antonyms
human (A real person without magical powers, contrasting with an imaginary magical fairy.)
Themes
fantasy
|children
|literature
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very small magic person in stories, often with wings, who can use special powers.
A small imaginary creature in stories, usually shaped like a tiny human with wings, that has magical powers.
NOUN
C1
VULGAR
2
Usage pattern:
a fairy
The bully called him a fairy, which deeply hurt his feelings.
A zaklató lebuzizta, ami mélyen megbántotta.
That word is an old-fashioned slur; calling someone a fairy is not acceptable.
Ez egy régies szitokszó; nem elfogadható valakit buzizni.
The movie was criticized for using the word "fairy" as a joke about gay men.
Learner examples
Do not call anyone a fairy. It is very rude.
Ne buzizz le senkit. Ez nagyon durva.
The teacher told the students that the word "fairy" for a gay man is hate speech.
A tanár elmondta a diákoknak, hogy a „buzi” szó meleg férfira használva gyűlöletbeszéd.
Some old films use the word "fairy" as a joke, but people today find it offensive.
Common mistake:
Some learners see the word 'fairy' in older movies or books and think it is a neutral or funny word for a gay man. It is not. It is offensive in modern English and should be avoided, especially when talking to or about people.
Meaning
offensive slur for a gay man
Collocations
call someone a fairy
|stupid fairy
|little fairy
Synonyms
fag (Also a very strong insult for a gay man in some countries; both are highly offensive and should be avoided.)
Antonyms
straight man (Represents a heterosexual man and is often implied as the contrast in the minds of people who use this slur.)
Themes
identity
|insults
|relationships
|communication
Definition
A very rude and hurtful word for a gay man. It should not be used.
A highly offensive and insulting word for a gay man, suggesting he is weak or not traditionally masculine.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
tündér
B1
Usage pattern:
the [type] fairy
Who do you think did the dishes, the dish fairy?
Szerinted ki mosogatott el, a mosogatótündér?
I guess the laundry fairy visited last night, because all my shirts are clean.
Úgy látszik, tegnap este járt nálunk a mosótündér, mert minden ingem tiszta.
He joked that he was still waiting for the money fairy to pay off his debts.
No, the cleaning fairy didn’t come; I stayed up late and did it myself.
There’s no homework fairy—you have to write the essay on your own.
Learner examples
She says the cleaning fairy came, but really her mom did the work.
Azt mondja, jött a takarítótündér, de valójában az anyukája végezte el a munkát.
I am still waiting for the money fairy to put cash in my bank account.
Még mindig arra várok, hogy a pénztündér pénzt tegyen a bankszámlámra.
There is no laundry fairy; you must wash your own clothes.
He jokes about a coffee fairy bringing him a hot drink every morning.
We know a homework fairy is not real; we must study.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use means a real magical creature, but here it is mainly a joke about some unknown person who did the work. The pattern usually needs a describing word before 'fairy', such as 'cleaning fairy' or 'money fairy'.
Meaning
imaginary helper who does chores
Collocations
cleaning fairy
|laundry fairy
|dish fairy
|money fairy
Synonyms
secret helper (Neutral and descriptive; lacks the playful, magical idea in 'fairy'.)
Antonyms
freeloader (Describes someone who avoids work and lets others do it, opposite of the idea of a secret helper doing work for you.)
Themes
daily life
|humor
|daily_life
|communication
Definition
A joke word for an imaginary person who comes when you are not looking and does work or brings money or other things.
A humorous way to refer to an imaginary person or force that secretly does jobs or brings something, used in phrases like "the cleaning fairy" or "the money fairy".
B2
4
tündéri
B1
tündérszerű
B2
Usage pattern:
fairy [noun]
They hung fairy lights all around the garden for the wedding.
Az esküvőre fényfüzéreket akasztottak az egész kertbe.
The children built a tiny fairy house at the base of the tree.
A gyerekek apró tündérházat építettek a fa tövében.
At night the snow-covered trees looked almost fairy white under the streetlamps.
She decorated her room in a fairy style with soft colors and tiny lights.
The park was turned into a fairy forest for the festival.
Learner examples
We put fairy lights on the balcony.
Fényfüzért tettünk az erkélyre.
The kids made a fairy garden in the yard.
A gyerekek tündérkertet készítettek az udvaron.
She wears a fairy dress with many small stars.
The town looks fairy and quiet in the snow.
There is a small fairy door on the wall.
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'fairy' as an adjective before any magical thing, but it usually suggests something small, light, and pretty, not just any kind of magic or horror. For scary magic, words like 'dark' or 'evil' are more natural.
Meaning
small, delicate, or magical like fairies
Collocations
fairy lights
|fairy garden
|fairy village
|fairy dress
|fairy world
Synonyms
magical (Focuses on the feeling of magic; 'fairy' often also suggests something tiny and delicate.)
|
whimsical (Suggests playful, strange beauty; 'fairy' more clearly connects to fairy imagery.)
Antonyms
ordinary (Lacking the special, magical, or delicate quality suggested by 'fairy'.)
Themes
fantasy
|description
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describes something that is like a fairy because it is very small, light, pretty, or seems magical.
Describes something that looks or feels related to fairies, especially by being small, delicate, pretty, or giving a magical atmosphere.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fairy
IPA
GB/fˈɛɹi/
US/fˈɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
fairy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fairy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fairy
- Plural: fairies
Word family
Forms
fairies
noun
Related words
fairyland
noun
fairylike
adjective
fairytale
noun
Expressions
away with the fairies
1/əwˈeɪ wˈɪθ ðə fˈɛɹiz/
idiom
informal
distracted and not realistic
Not paying attention to real life, as if you are dreaming or in another world; often said in a joking way.
Examples
- Sorry, I was away with the fairies—could you repeat that?
- He spends so much time daydreaming that his boss thinks he’s away with the fairies.
- She seems a bit away with the fairies this morning after working all night.
fairy dust
1/fˈɛɹi dˈʌst/
fixed phrase
fine magical powder from fairies
Very small pieces of magic powder in stories that fairies use to make people fly or do other magic; sometimes used to mean a special extra quality that makes something very good.
Examples
- In the film, a little fairy dust lets the children fly.
- The marketing team added a bit of fairy dust to the campaign to make it more exciting.
- The stage glitter looked like fairy dust in the spotlight.
fairy godmother
1/fˈɛɹi ɡˈɑdmˌʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
person who gives generous help
Someone who helps you a lot in a surprising and very kind way, like the magic helper in the Cinderella story.
Examples
- Her aunt was like a fairy godmother, paying for her college fees.
- A mysterious fairy godmother donated enough money to save the theater.
- He thanked the mentor who had been his fairy godmother in the industry.
fairy lights
1/fˈɛɹi lˈaɪts/
fixed phrase
small decorative string lights
Many small lights on a thin wire or string, used to decorate a room, tree, or outdoor space.
Examples
- They put fairy lights around the window for the holidays.
- The garden was lit with soft fairy lights hanging from the trees.
- She likes to keep fairy lights over her bed all year round.
fairy story
1/fˈɛɹi stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
informal
untrue or invented story
A story that is not true; often used to say that someone is lying or telling a nice story that you cannot believe.
Examples
- The minister’s explanation was dismissed as a fairy story by the press.
- Don’t tell me fairy stories about why you were late; I saw you at the café.
- He comforted the children with a fairy story about the lost dog finding a new home.
like a fairy tale
1/lˈaɪk ə fˈɛɹi tˈeɪl/
idiom
perfect and almost unreal
Used when something is very beautiful or happy and seems too good to be real.
Examples
- The city at night looked like a fairy tale.
- Her life now seems like a fairy tale compared to her difficult childhood.
- For him, getting that job was like a fairy tale come true.
tooth fairy
1/tˈuθ fˈɛɹi/
fixed phrase
imaginary being for lost teeth
An imaginary person in Western stories who takes a child’s tooth from under the pillow and leaves money instead.
Examples
- The boy put his tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy.
- Do you still believe in the tooth fairy?
- Parents often pretend to be the tooth fairy for their children.
fairy tale
1/fˈɛɹi tˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
traditional magical story for children
A simple story, often for children, with magic, fairies, or other unreal things; also used for a very happy, almost unreal situation.
Examples
- She read her daughter a fairy tale before bed.
- Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale.
- Their wedding was like something out of a fairy tale.
- Their wedding was like a fairy tale, with a castle and fireworks.
- The book is a modern fairy tale about a girl who can talk to animals.