fables
fables — noun
- fablessingular
- fablesesplural
1. A short fictional story, usually featuring animals as characters, that is told t
A short fictional story, usually featuring animals as characters, that is told to teach readers a practical lesson about right and wrong behaviour.
Aesop's fables use talking animals to teach lessons about honesty, greed, and kindness.
fable about [moral topic]
The village elder told a fable about a clever fox and a foolish crow to warn the children about flattery.
fable about [character A] and [character B]
In many Asian fables, a small animal manages to outsmart a much larger opponent.
The Tortoise and the Hare is a well-known fable that shows the value of patience over speed.
The librarian recommended a collection of African fables retold by a local writer for children aged eight to ten.
文法句型
fable + about [topic]
用法筆記
The singular form 'fable' refers to one such story. The best-known fables in the Western tradition are attributed to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece.
常見錯誤
2. A story from ancient times that involves gods, goddesses, mythical creatures, or
A story from ancient times that involves gods, goddesses, mythical creatures, or supernatural events, and often serves to explain natural phenomena.
Ancient Greek fables described gods and goddesses who lived on Mount Olympus and intervened in human wars.
The old fisherman told fables about a giant sea serpent that protected the coral reef.
fables about [mythical creature]
Many cultures have fables that explain how the sun, the moon, and the stars came into existence.
The fable of Atlantis, a lost civilisation beneath the ocean, has fascinated explorers for hundreds of years.
Dr. Nakamura collected ancient Japanese fables about forest spirits and mountain deities for her research.
- fact
a piece of information confirmed by evidence
文法句型
fable of [mythical subject]
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'myth' and 'legend'. It typically describes older, pre-scientific attempts to explain the world, rather than stories with an explicit moral.
常見錯誤
3. A statement or account that is not true, created deliberately to deceive or misl
A statement or account that is not true, created deliberately to deceive or mislead others.
The journalist's exclusive story turned out to be a complete fable invented to sell newspapers.
a complete fable
Omar dismissed the rumour about his resignation as a fable spread by jealous colleagues.
The company's claim of a revolutionary cure was exposed as a fable designed to attract desperate patients.
Historians later proved that the explorer's diary was a fable; he had never visited the places he described.
- lie
more common and direct; a false statement made deliberately
- fabrication
something invented with the intention to deceive, slightly more formal than 'lie'
- truth
the real facts about a situation
常見錯誤
fables — verb
- fablespresent simple I / you / we / they
- fableses3rd person singular
- fablesing-ing form
- fablesedpast simple
1. To compose or recite short moral stories, especially in the style of traditional
To compose or recite short moral stories, especially in the style of traditional fables.
The old poet fabled about talking animals at the village gathering every evening.
fabled about [topic]
In ancient India, storytellers fabled about clever jackals and wise elephants to teach moral lessons.
Dr. Patel's research examines how medieval Persian poets fabled about birds and their journeys.
When Sora's grandfather fabled about the clever monkey, the children listened in perfect silence.
- tell stories
more common and general; not limited to moral tales
用法筆記
This verb is very rare in modern English. You are far more likely to encounter the noun form 'fable' or the adjective 'fabulous'. When used as a verb, it is almost always intransitive and followed by 'about'.
2. To tell or write about something imaginary as though it were real, especially in
To tell or write about something imaginary as though it were real, especially in the context of legendary or historical claims.
For centuries, European explorers fabled about a mountain of pure gold hidden in the heart of Africa.
fabled about [legendary thing]
The old map fabled the distant island as a paradise where no sailor ever grew old.
Medieval travellers fabled the faraway kingdom as a land of silk and spices beyond all imagination.
It was fabled among the desert tribes that a hidden oasis held the key to endless wisdom.
- report
to give a truthful account of events
文法句型
fable + about [topic]
fable + [place/person] + as [description]
it is/was fabled that...
用法筆記
This verb sense is rare in modern English. The more common alternatives are 'fabricate' (formal) or 'make up' (informal). When 'fable' does appear as a verb, it typically describes historical or legendary claims rather than deliberate lies — e.g., 'explorers fabled about riches'.