fable
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fable
- /ˈfeɪbəl/
Rhymes with -eɪbəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula.
noun fables
-
A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.
Similar: morality play
-
Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.
But refuſe prophane and olde wiues fables, and exerciſe thy ſelfe rather vnto godlineſſe.
Similar: legend
- Fiction; untruth; falsehood. I say it would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away all which is the overplus of a great fortune by secret methods to other men.
- The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. For the moral (as Bossu observes,) is the first business of the poet, as being the groundwork of his instruction. This being formed, he contrives such a design, or fable, as may be most suitable to the moral;
verb fables · fabling · fabled
- To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true. He Fables not, I heare the enemie: / Out ſome light Horſemen, and peruſe their Wings.
- To make up; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely; to recount in the form of a fable. […] erre not that ſo ſhall end / The ſtrife of Glorie: which we mean to win, / Or turn this Heav’n itſelf into the Hell / Thou fableſt […]
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: legend, apologue, parable, allegory, fiction, fabrication, story, tale, imagination, myth, aesopic, conte, halm, saga, anecdote, narrative
Translations
Every language
noun fictitious narration to enforce some useful truth or precept
| Español | fábula |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 우언 ueon, 우화 uhwa |
| 日本語 | 寓言 gūgen, 寓話 gūwa |
| 中文 | 寓言 yùyán |
| हिन्दी | नीतिकथा nītikthā, फ़साना fasānā |
| Kiswahili | hadithi |
| Português | fábula |
| Français | conte, fable |
| Deutsch | Fabel |
| Italiano | fiaba |
| Ελληνικά | μύθος mýthos |
| Română | fabulă, poveste |
| Русский | ба́сня básnja, при́тча prítča, ба́йка bájka, ска́зка skázka |
| Tiếng Việt | ngụ ngôn |
| العربية | خُرَافَة ḵurāfa, أُسْطُورَة ʔusṭūra |
| עברית | מָשָׁל mashál |
noun story told to excite wonder
| 中文 | 神話 /神话 shénhuà, 傳說 /传说 chuánshuō |
|---|---|
| Română | poveste, legendă |
| Русский | небыли́ца nebylíca, вы́думка výdumka, ба́йка bájka, ска́зка skázka |
| עברית | מעשייה, מַעֲשִׂיָּה ma'asiyá |
noun fiction, untruth, falsehood
| 中文 | 謊言 /谎言 huǎngyán |
|---|---|
| Română | poveste |
| Русский | небыли́ца nebylíca, вы́думка výdumka, ба́йка bájka, ска́зка skázka, не́быль nébylʹ |
| العربية | خُرَافَة ḵurāfa |
| עברית | מעשייה, מַעֲשִׂיָּה ma'asiyá |
verb compose fables
| 中文 | 編造 /编造 biānzào, 虛構 /虚构 xūgòu, 捏造 niēzào |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | fabulieren |
| עברית | המשיל himshíl |
Talk about this word "fable." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fable. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. fable. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fable "fable." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fable.Cite this
@misc{fable_2026,
title = {fable},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fable},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
