fella
Americannoun
-
fellas
plural
noun
Usage
What does fella mean? Fella is a very informal way of saying fellow—a general term for a man or boy. Fella can be used as an informal term of address similar to terms like dude, buddy, or pal, as in Hey, fella, what’s new with you? In this way, it’s perhaps most commonly used to refer to or address a male animal, especially a pet, as in Hey, little fella, you’re the cutest!It can also be used by a man to refer to himself, as in Where can a fella find a hot meal around here?Most senses of fella (and fellow) sound old-timey and aren’t commonly used (other than to sound old-timey). However, the plural form, fellas, is somewhat commonly used, especially by men or boys as an informal and familiar way to refer to their male friends (the fellas) or as a way to address them, in much the same way as the term guys. Fella is also used in the informal phrase big fella, referring to a particularly large man or object, as in He’s a big fella, ain’t he?Example: Jen’s having a night out with the ladies, so I’m going to stay here and hang with the fellas.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fella
cf. feller 1
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:
Mark Zuckerberg named mine “Dash,” and whenever I open Muse, the cute little fella blinks at me as he swivels his necklike body part from right to left.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Walker described him as a "sincere wee fella" that "loved everyone and everyone loved him".
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Maybe it don’t seem to make sense for a fella to be doing things for a reason that he don’t know about,” Nick says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
He’s a cute little fella, decked out in his reflective vest, hard hat and work boots, with his big eyes and a fixed grin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
“But Oi’m surprised you’d gut the little fella roit here with tae pegs close by....”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
These little fellas represent a departure from all of that: cuddly digital pals whose highest calling is to help you reclaim some of your time.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Say, fellas, look, we’re all friends here, amirite?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
She added: "I love all the groups of girls all coming down together and the fellas all in groups."
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026
The songs feel mechanical — easy on the auto-tune, fellas, I’ve seen your Tiny Desk concert and you don’t need it — though the accompanying production numbers are fun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
“Glazier,” Chamberlain said, “you show these men where to go. You fellas eat up and then I’ll come over and hear what you have to say.”
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
