Word of the Day, November 7: ‘Fey’

Word of the Day: FEY
Pronunciation: UK /feɪ/
US /feɪ/

Meaning
Fey is an adjective used to describe someone or something that seems strange, mysterious, otherworldly or touched by an unusual quality. It can also refer to a person who appears dreamy, delicate or slightly detached from ordinary life.

Examples in everyday sentences

• There was something fey about the old house, especially after sunset.
• Her fey manner and unusual observations made her an intriguing person.
• The artist created a fey atmosphere in the painting, with mist-covered trees and pale moonlight.
• He had a slightly fey appearance, as though his thoughts were always somewhere else.
• The villagers believed the old woman was fey because she often spoke of things before they happened.

Origin and history

Fey comes from the Old English word fǣge, meaning doomed to die or fated. It is related to the Old High German word feigi, which also meant doomed.

The word was originally used to describe someone believed to be close to death or destined to meet an unfortunate end. In Scottish folklore, it was also associated with strange behaviour or an unusual state of excitement believed to signal that death was near.

Over time, its meaning developed to include qualities that seemed supernatural, mysterious or otherworldly. It later acquired a more ironic sense, sometimes describing someone who appears affected, overly delicate or deliberately eccentric.

Also Read: Word of the Day, November 6: ‘Exonerate’ 

Cultural significance and modern usage

The word fey is often found in literature, fantasy writing and descriptions of folklore. It can be used for characters who seem to exist between the ordinary and supernatural worlds, giving them an air of mystery.

In modern English, it usually describes someone or something strange, dreamy or otherworldly. It is also sometimes used disapprovingly to suggest that a person is being unnecessarily delicate or affected.

The word is less common in everyday conversation and is more likely to appear in literary descriptions, reviews and discussions of art or personality.

Interesting facts

Fey is sometimes associated with the supernatural and fairy folk, although its historical origin is separate from the word fairy.

In older Scottish usage, being described as fey could suggest that someone had a premonition of their own death.

The word can have both positive and negative shades of meaning. It may suggest an enchanting, mysterious quality or an affected and impractical manner.

The related noun feyness refers to the quality of being fey.

Examples from literature

• “Then Fëanor laughed as one fey…”—  The Silmarillion by J R R Tolkien
• “His interlocutor was whimsical if not downright fey.”— A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
• “the fey grace, the elusive, shifty, soul-shattering, insidious charm"— Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Synonyms

• Mysterious
• Enigmatic
• Eerie
• Otherworldly
• Ethereal
• Unusual
• Dreamy
• Uncanny

Antonyms

• Ordinary
• Practical
• Down-to-earth
• Realistic
• Conventional
• Sensible

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