Meanings
adjectiveairy fairy (comparative more airy fairy, superlative most airy fairy)
comparative more airy fairy · superlative most airy fairy
- derogatoryinformalInsubstantial.
- derogatoryinformalImpractical.
Origin
Coined by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in 1830 in his poem Lilian.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
airy fairy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airy%20fairy
MLA
“airy fairy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airy%20fairy. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “airy fairy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airy%20fairy.
Source: airy fairy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.