fey

[ fey ]

adjective

1. British Dialect. doomed; fated to die.
2. Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil.
3. supernatural; unreal; enchanted:

   elves, fairies, and other fey creatures.

4. being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death.
5. whimsical; strange; otherworldly:

   a strange child with a mysterious smile and a fey manner.

fey

/ feɪ /

adjective

1. interested in or believing in the supernatural
2. attuned to the supernatural; clairvoyant; visionary
3. fated to die; doomed
4. in a state of high spirits or unusual excitement, formerly believed to presage death

Derived Forms

• ˈfeyness, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fey¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English fǣge doomed to die; cognate with Old Norse feigr doomed, German feig cowardly

Word History and Origins

Origin of fey¹

Old English fæge marked out for death; related to Old Norse feigr doomed, Old High German feigi

Example Sentences

Several of White’s celebrity friends starred in the documentary, including Tina Fey and Morgan Freeman.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a collection of essays he describes in the vein of Mindy Kaling or Tina Fey’s literary projects.

From Los Angeles Times

“Saturday Night Live” has been an institution on late-night television, generating scores of comedy stars over the decades — Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig among them — and numerous film spinoffs.

From Los Angeles Times

She spoke from her home office via videoconference about her professional life in Hollywood, how she used one of Tina Fey’s scripts as a textbook and why horror fiction can help teach us about taboo subjects.

From Los Angeles Times

My very first pilot was written by printing out one of Tina Fey’s early “30 Rock” drafts and using it as a blueprint.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• elfin
• elfish
• fairylike