fairy

/ˈfeəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈferi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfer-ē/ (ame, mw)

fairy — 名詞

  • fairysingular
  • fairiesplural

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

1.名詞A2
釋義

仙子

童話中有翅膀的小魔法生物

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.

Talia 的奶奶跟她講了一個故事，說有個仙子帶領迷路的小孩回家。

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

在學校話劇中，Saira 飾演一個穿著銀色戲服、長著翅膀的仙子。

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

怪人

舉止怪異的人（老派口語）

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.

村子裡的小孩把 Gabriela 叫做怪人，因為她每天都會跟自己的植物說話。

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

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

Felipe 收藏老茶壺又愛穿花襯衫，鄰居都把他叫做怪人。

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💡This sense is outdated and carries serious risk of being misunderstood as the hateful slur.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

歧視字眼

對男同性戀的極度侮辱性用語

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.

用 fairy 這個字來辱罵他人是充滿仇恨的行為，會對人造成實際傷害。

should never use — explicit warning against using the word

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

老師解釋說，fairy 是對男同志極度冒犯的歧視字眼。

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.