feller

Feller is a very informal way of saying fellow—a general term for a man or boy.

It can also be used to refer to a male animal, especially a pet, as in Look at this cute little feller!

It’s often paired with an adjective, as in handsome feller or big feller. 

Less commonly, feller can be used as an informal term of address similar to terms like dude, buddy, or pal, as in Hey, feller, what’s new with you? It can also be used by a man to refer to himself, as in Where can a feller find a hot meal around here?

The related term fella is also a variant of fellow and is thought to come from an altered pronunciation of feller. Fella is also very informal. Most senses of feller and fella sound old-timey and aren’t commonly used (other than to sound old-timey or to be funny). Feller is especially associated with rural speakers.

Unrelatedly, feller also means someone who fells things—cuts them down—such as a lumberjack.

In sewing, to fell is to finish a seam by sewing the edge down flat. In this context, feller can refer to a person who finishes a seam in this way or to a sewing machine attachment that does it.

Example: That lumberjack-looking feller was in here not a half hour ago asking for directions.

The first records of the word feller come from around 1700. It’s a variant of the word fellow.

Though fella and feller are very similar, fella is commonly used in some ways that feller is not. For example, the plural form fellas is used 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 this way, it’s used in much the same way as the term guys, as in Jen’s having a night out with the ladies, so I’m going to stay here and hang with the fellas. It’s possible to use fellers in this way, but it’s not at all common.

What are some other forms related to feller?

• fellers (plural)

What are some synonyms for feller?

• fella
• guy
• boy
• man
• dude

What are some words that share a root or word element with feller? 

• fellow
• fella

What are some words that often get used in discussing feller?

• big
• handsome
• friend
• buddy
• pal

The term feller is very informal. It’s typically used in a humorous way.

Texting one handsome feller (;

— Dud ✨ (@dsevere_) February 3, 2012

Met some feller for our first date 13 years ago. Happy First-Date-A-Versary @3045hobart. Another 13 and our daughter will be off to college 😱 pic.twitter.com/oSiNJehylr

— Raymond J Lee (@raymondjlee) February 19, 2020

Found a little feller 🙂 pic.twitter.com/EFhYTuPMMa

— Allister🇦🇺 (@AllisterThorne) July 19, 2020

Is feller used correctly in the following sentence?

He may be a young feller, but he sure is clever!