lefty

¹ American  

[lef-tee] / ˈlɛf ti /

Or leftie

noun

Informal.

lefties plural

1. a left-handed person.

2. a leftist.

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lefty ² American  

[lef-tee] / ˈlɛf ti /

adjective

1. left-handed.

2. leftist; left-wing.

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adverb

1. with the left hand; in a left-handed manner.

   He bats lefty.

lefty British  

/ ˈlɛftɪ /

noun

1. a left-winger

2. a left-handed person

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• lefties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lefty¹

First recorded in 1925–30; left ¹ + -y ²

Origin of lefty²

First recorded in 1885–90; left ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Also, no lefty in the bullpen knows how to throw a screwball?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

The 23-year-old lefty from Georgia turned pro last year after topping the PGA Tour University rankings following a record seven wins in his college career.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

“People perceive me as this sort of lefty figure; I think I’m more conservative than people think. I just happen to be talking about a government in extremis,” he said.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

They gave lefty flamethrower Blake Snell $182 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

It’s not that I don’t see the ball well leaving a righty pitcher’s hand, but when it comes to lefty pitchers, I own them.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner