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

But she complemented the Welsh actor who "brings a furious fey playfulness and vulnerability" to his character.

From BBC

If they are predicting Armageddon the socialist devil is just a little bit too fey to be truly menacing.

From Salon

Adding to this fey lyricism are Lovelace’s formal choices, including the quasi-Cubist fracturing of each scene into four equal squares that don’t quite align.

From New York Times

While Maren and Lee share the same fey temperament and just-agonized-enough ethics, another secret sharer she meets along the way — a menacing vagabond named Sully, overplayed by Mark Rylance — has no such compunctions.

From Washington Post

The house Stoppard shares with his third wife, the charming Sabrina Guinness, is exactly what you would expect: elegant, erudite, fey and library-quiet.

From New York Times

Related Words

• elfin
• elfish
• fairylike