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Synonyms

storybook

American  
[stawr-ee-book] / ˈstɔr iˌbʊk /

noun

  1. a book that contains a story or stories especially for children.

adjective

  1. idealized, romantic, or picturesque, as if from a book of stories.

    She lives in a storybook cottage on an island off the coast of Maine.
storybook British  
/ ˈstɔːrɪˌbʊk /

noun

  1. a book containing stories, esp for children

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. unreal or fantastic

    a storybook world
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of storybook

First recorded in 1705–15; story 1 + book

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Singer and songwriter Rufus Wainwright has put his vibrant Spanish-style storybook residence on the market in Los Angeles for $2.3 million—more than 10 years after he picked up the unique abode.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

The Dolphins proved they could play against Bakersfield Christian on Tuesday night but they did not write the storybook ending they wanted.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski find an enchanting balance between storybook allure and adult trickery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

This month, after the storybook comeback of a 44-year-old grandfather was undone by a late-game field goal, we saw Mr. Rivers once more in tears.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

And then, like a hero in a storybook, he helped me up.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.