filly

noun

fil·​ly ˈfi-lē How to pronounce filly (audio)
plural fillies
1
: a young female horse usually of less than four years
2
: a young woman : girl

Examples of filly in a Sentence

she's still a filly, so she has plenty of time to decide what she wants to do in life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The winner was a 4-year-old filly named Rugelach, and Denman punctuated her runaway victory with one of his familiar expressions. Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025 Also this weekend are three Kentucky Oaks prep races for 3-year-old fillies that award 50 points to the winners. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 All those 3-year-old fillies and others ahead on the Kentucky Oaks Trail are chasing the fine filly Good Cheer, who sailed clear to remain undefeated (5-for-5) with another resounding win as the 1/9 heavy favorite last Saturday in the Rachel Alexander Stakes at the Fair Grounds. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 But McPeek did something that hasn’t been done since 1952, winning the Kentucky Oaks for fillies and the Kentucky Derby on consecutive days. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for filly

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fyly, from Old Norse fylja; akin to Old English fola foal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of filly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Filly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

filly

noun
fil·​ly ˈfil-ē How to pronounce filly (audio)
plural fillies
: a young female horse usually less than four years old

More from Merriam-Webster on filly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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