fairy

fairy — noun

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

1.名詞A2
釋義

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

例句

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)

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

a/the fairy

fairy + noun (fairy tale, fairy godmother)

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • oddball

    neutral and informal; describes someone with quirky habits

  • eccentric

    more formal; describes unusual but often charming behaviour

文法句型

a bit of a fairy

called/thought... a fairy

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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💡This sense is outdated and carries serious risk of being misunderstood as the hateful slur.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.名詞C1
釋義

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

例句

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.

文法句型

call someone a fairy

use fairy as a slur

用法筆記

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'.

常見錯誤

❌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.