filly
Americannoun
-
fillies
plural
-
a young female horse.
-
Informal. a girl or young woman.
noun
-
a female horse or pony under the age of four
-
informal a spirited girl or young woman
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of filly
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English fyly, from Old Norse fyla “female, foal”; see foal
Explanation
A filly is a young female horse. The male equivalent of a filly is a "colt." In most places, a filly is not yet four years old, although sometimes a female horse younger than five is considered a filly. Before she is a year old, a filly is also called a "foal," or a baby horse — and between the ages of one and two, she's also a "yearling." Around 1400, the word was spelled fyly, possibly from the Old Norse fylja, the feminine of foli, or "foal."
Vocabulary lists containing filly
Horsin' Around
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Book of Unknown Americans
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Black Beauty
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The filly equivalent of the Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, will be run under the lights at 5:40 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Smith said the filly “broke really well but she must have hit herself leaving the gate. She was real choppy and didn’t feel comfortable.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026
The 3-year-old filly is trained by Jose Francisco D’Angelo and was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who picked up his 22nd Cup victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2025
The filly broke alertly and stayed near the front before going to the lead in midstretch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025
There, he hooked up in a murderous head-to- head duel with a filly named Fair Knightess, who was carrying 108 pounds to Seabiscuit’s 130.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
The party usually gets started well before the main event: On Friday, a crowd watched a race for fillies, the Kentucky Oaks.
From New York Times ● May 4, 2024
The dark brown horse was briefly the top choice before going off at 4-1 odds and staking her claim right away in the $1.5 million marquee race for 3-year-old fillies.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
Billed as Championship Sunday, it co-features the $50,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds, and $50,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
The last Grade 1 of the day was the female equivalent of the Malibu, the La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2023
"First," said Clocker, "there are more male bats than fillies."
From At the Post by H. L. (Horace Leonard) Gold
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
