fella

American  

[fel-uh] / ˈfɛl ə /

noun

Informal.

1. fellow.

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fella British  

/ ˈfɛlə /

noun

1. a nonstandard variant of fellow

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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.

Etymology

Origin of fella

cf. feller ¹

Example Sentences

Devin Fox, a 26-year-old Ella fella, has posted several videos about Langley’s music from the fire station where he works as a firefighter and paramedic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

At one stop the driver’s door powered into an old Mazda truck parked next to me—sorry, fella.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

I met him a few times off the pitch, lovely fella, but on the pitch he was nasty.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 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