fey

UK: /feɪ/ US: /feɪ/ ,(fā)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

fey /feɪ/   adj. 

1. whimsical;
   strange:
   in a fey manner.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fey  (fā), adj. 

1. British Terms doomed;
   fated to die.
2. Scottish Terms [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.

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

fey / feɪ/ adjective

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

Etymology: Old English fæge marked out for death; related to Old Norse feigr doomed, Old High German feigi; sense 3 probably influenced by fay

ˈfeyness noun