Word
changeling
UK/tʃˈeɪndʒlɪŋ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a baby from old stories that fairies secretly leave in place of a real human baby. People also use it for a child who looks or acts very different from the family.
n. a child believed in folklore to have been secretly substituted by fairies or supernatural beings for a human infant. Extended figuratively to a child perceived as strikingly unlike its parents or family.
Examples
“The old tale tells of a changeling left by fairies.”
“The villagers whisper that the strange baby is a changeling swapped in the night by forest spirits.”
“In the novel, the mother slowly accepts the changeling as her own, learning that love can grow even where blood and belonging feel uncertain.”
Examples
simple
“The old tale tells of a changeling left by fairies.”
contextual
“The villagers whisper that the strange baby is a changeling swapped in the night by forest spirits.”
complex
“In the novel, the mother slowly accepts the changeling as her own, learning that love can grow even where blood and belonging feel uncertain.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “changeling” in context.
Verb
01. changeling vanishes
“At dawn the changeling vanishes, and the true child is restored.”
noun + verb
02. changeling wails
“The changeling wails all night and refuses its mother's milk.”
noun + verb
03. changeling withers
“In the story, the changeling withers despite every care and remedy.”
noun + verb
04. expose changeling
“Villagers would expose the changeling on the hillside to reclaim their child.”
verb + noun
05. leave changeling
“In folklore, fairies steal the infant and leave a changeling in its place.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. fairy changeling
“The old tale tells of a fairy changeling left in the farmer's cradle.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. legend of changeling
“The legend of the changeling explained sudden illness in newborns.”
noun + prep + noun
08. myth of changeling
“The myth of the changeling persists in Celtic literature and fantasy novels.”
noun + prep + noun
09. a changeling in the cradle
“She awoke to find a changeling in the cradle, wailing through the night.”
10. accused of being a changeling
“In the tale, the strange child is accused of being a changeling.”
11. leave a changeling behind
“Folklore says fairies steal infants and leave a changeling behind.”
12. mistaken for a changeling
“The sickly infant was mistaken for a changeling by superstitious villagers.”
Etymology
The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1). The adjective is derived from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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