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:
"I cut off my ponytail, shaved off my beard, took all my earrings out, bought a £60 suit - all that's totally true - the day before I had my interview."
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 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
What’s your secret to your signature slick-back ponytail?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
With her long hair tied back in a ponytail, a white top, beige jacket and wide-legged jeans, she stands out in an industry dominated by men in suits.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
She had large green eyes, olive skin, and long, jet-black hair combed back in a ponytail.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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
You can dip in on any page and be amused: “I remember ponytails … I remember always losing one glove … I remember that the red Crayola was always the first to go.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
"We know that fashion tends to repeat itself - and just as ponytails and flared trousers have made a comeback, so has this vintage item," says L'Oréal's Mr Rosso.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2022
There are plenty of headbands and sideways ponytails held up by Scrunchies.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2022
A group of red-cheeked girls playing soccer, ponytails flying, their shouts and laughter carrying faintly over the velvety, twilit field.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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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.
