ponytail
Americannoun
-
ponytails
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ponytail
Explanation
A ponytail is a hairstyle. To make a ponytail, gather your hair at the back or side of your head and secure it with a band so that it hangs down. The ponytail was named for its resemblance to the long tail of a horse or pony. While a classic ponytail might be defined as long hair banded at the back of the head, there are many variations. There are short, stubby ponytails; side ponytails; high and low ponytails; and double ponytails, sometimes called "pigtails." This hairstyle, once mainly worn by children, became very popular in the 1950s thanks to the introduction of the Barbie doll and her iconic ponytail.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
What’s your secret to your signature slick-back ponytail?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
With her long hair tied back in a ponytail, a white top, beige jacket and wide-legged jeans, she stands out in an industry dominated by men in suits.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
With his golden ponytail, dry sense of humor and uncanny ability to pulverize soccer balls, the 6-foot-5 superstar has established himself as a World Cup sensation—and Norway’s largest ambassador.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Although everyone comments on her beauty, 17-year-old Fatima prefers to tie her hair back in a ponytail, her bright eyes buried underneath a black ball cap, her body concealed in unflattering tracksuits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
She gathered her hair in a ponytail and secured it with a blue scrunchie.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
I have like four ponytails in my head and it’s tight and I’m going to regret it when I get older but for an hour it needs to stick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Young adults in hiking gear sipped beers beneath chandeliers shaped like wagon wheels as old timers with gray ponytails and cowboy hats chatted with a tattooed bartender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025
In the 25 years since, Teekah has remained frozen in time at 2 years old, last seen wearing a green sweatshirt with a Tweety Bird design, her curly black hair in ponytails.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
"We know that fashion tends to repeat itself - and just as ponytails and flared trousers have made a comeback, so has this vintage item," says L'Oréal's Mr Rosso.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2022
Problemo The girls let down their ponytails, high-five their coach, then walk over to shake our sweaty palms after beating us five to three.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
