ponytail
Americannoun
-
ponytails
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ponytail
Explanation
A ponytail is a hairstyle. To make a ponytail, gather your hair at the back or side of your head and secure it with a band so that it hangs down. The ponytail was named for its resemblance to the long tail of a horse or pony. While a classic ponytail might be defined as long hair banded at the back of the head, there are many variations. There are short, stubby ponytails; side ponytails; high and low ponytails; and double ponytails, sometimes called "pigtails." This hairstyle, once mainly worn by children, became very popular in the 1950s thanks to the introduction of the Barbie doll and her iconic ponytail.
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:
She had a high blond ponytail that nodded to Madonna’s look from the Blonde Ambition tour — a random happy coincidence, Bob would later share with me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The eye-catching speed suit featured an open back and a hood with a ponytail opening, while colour-changing 3D-printed details reduced drag in key areas.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The mother-of-two, married to an economics professor with a ponytail, is a fan of heavy metal band System of a Down and held a "Sex and the City"-themed party for her 40th birthday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
With his golden ponytail, dry sense of humor and uncanny ability to pulverize soccer balls, the 6-foot-5 superstar has established himself as a World Cup sensation—and Norway’s largest ambassador.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
She scrapes her long hair back into a tight ponytail and clips a piece of plastic to her chest that says, “Jamie.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
I have like four ponytails in my head and it’s tight and I’m going to regret it when I get older but for an hour it needs to stick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
She also taught the fathers basic hair-care techniques, including shampooing, detangling, checking for lice and how to tie ponytails and braids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
In the 25 years since, Teekah has remained frozen in time at 2 years old, last seen wearing a green sweatshirt with a Tweety Bird design, her curly black hair in ponytails.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
Dressed in blush-pink suits, with floor-length ponytails, the band are mobbed by fans when they arrive in the Eurovision press centre.
From BBC ● May 11, 2023
The girls are on the dose field, and its dozens of ponytails in motion.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions 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.
