FABLE Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

fable

noun

ˈfā-bəl

Definition of fable

as in allegory

a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others

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as in myth

a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children

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as in tale

something that is the product of the imagination the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lie

a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fable Is the morality fable at the end an allegory of purgatory or hell? — The Week Us, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026 Is Ancestors, the directorial feature debut of The Lodgers and The Winter Lake writer David Turpin, a love story, a noir mystery or a metaphysical fable? — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Few eras of Greek history compare to the ancient times that the country has become so synonymous with—the cinematic fables of Odysseus, comic-book lore of Leonidas, and philosophic creeds of Socrates are ever-present in pop culture. — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 The Holbrook sisters are undersocialized and inexperienced with the world, and Herzog sees them as figures out of a fable, dreamers who talk incessantly about love and seem connected to the elemental and the ancient. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable

Noun

But those earlier tales often used monstrousness as an allegory for male violence.

— Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
The question reminded me of the biblical allegory of Adam and Eve and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of allegory

Noun

Also intertwined are ancient myths of warring city-states, the raw, moody poetry of John Keats, and the modern battle between a faithless husband and his wife, the poem’s raging speaker.

— Merve Emre, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
In eighth-century myths the aes sidhe are literally called the tribe of the gods, and there’s a story as well, in an account of Patrick’s life written in the late seventh century.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of myth

Noun

Wildwood is a dark tale, with whispers of a witch, set against the beautiful yet formidable backdrop of rural New England.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
The tale is energized by the thoughtful performances of Hanns Zischler, as Mann, and Sandra Hüller, as the author’s daughter Erika, who accompanies him while reviving conflicts from her own past.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of tale

Noun

The ad also accuses his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, of telling lies about him.

— Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
The allegations hurled by state officials against Orange County were based on flat-out lies.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of lie

Noun

In the background of a gut-wrenching new album from Teller Bank$, there’s a preacher who sees himself in the biblical parable of Noah’s ark.

— Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
There’s a reason why political stories are often chosen as parables for moral compromise.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of parable

Noun

The Jim Casey of official legend was a wise and thoughtful leader who rarely, if ever, made a mistake.

— Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Dolly Parton's niece, Danielle Parton, has been named the new brand ambassador for the late country music legend's estate, nearly two months after the singer's death.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of legend

Noun

The time- traveling, science-fiction elements along with Vonnegut’s typical off-kilter style work against the odds to make this—along with its brother-in-arms, Heller’s Catch-22—one of the most powerful novels about World War II.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026
Lane was intending to offer contemporary fiction of the sort published in hardback for 7s 6d at a much lower paperback price.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of fiction

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fab

fable

fabled

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Style

“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fable

noun

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