Cinderella

[ sin-duh-rel-uh ]
/ ˌsɪn dəˈrɛl ə /

noun

a heroine of a fairy tale or folk tale who is maltreated by a malevolent stepmother but achieves happiness and marries a prince through the benevolent intervention of a fairy godmother.
(italics) the tale itself, the earliest version of which is in Chinese and dates from the 9th century a.d.
(italics) a ballet (1945) with musical score by Sergei Prokofiev.
a person or thing of merit, undeservedly neglected or forced into a wretched or obscure existence.
a person who achieves unexpected or sudden success or recognition, especially after obscurity, neglect, or misery.

Content related to cinderella

Where Did “Cinderella Story” Come From? Today, there are over 500 variants of Cinderella in Europe alone. It’s no surprise, then, that describing something as a Cinderella story has become a go-to reference for English speakers worldwide.
READ MORE

Example sentences from the Web for cinderella

British Dictionary definitions for cinderella

Cinderella
/ (ˌsɪndəˈrɛlə) /

noun

a girl who achieves fame after being obscure
  1. a poor, neglected, or unsuccessful person or thing
  2. (as modifier)a Cinderella service within the NHS
(modifier) relating to dramatic success a Cinderella story

Word Origin for Cinderella

C19: after Cinderella, the heroine of a fairy tale who is aided by a fairy godmother

Cultural definitions for cinderella

“Cinderella”

A fairy tale from the collection of Charles Perrault. Cinderella, a young girl, is forced by her stepmother and stepsisters to do heavy housework and relaxes by sitting among the cinders by the fireplace. One evening, when the prince of the kingdom is holding a ball, Cinderella's fairy godmother visits her, magically dresses her for the ball, turns a pumpkin into a magnificent carriage for her, warns her not to stay past midnight, and sends her off. Cinderella captivates the prince at the ball but leaves just as midnight is striking, and in her haste she drops a slipper; as the story is usually told in English, the slipper is made of glass. She returns home with her fine clothes turned back into rags and her carriage a pumpkin again. The prince searches throughout the kingdom for the owner of the slipper. Cinderella is the only one whom it fits, and the prince marries her.

notes for “Cinderella”

The name Cinderella is sometimes applied to a person or group that undergoes a sudden transformation, such as an athletic team that loses frequently and then starts to win steadily.