Fellow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈfe-(ˌ)lō/ fel·low

Meaning & Definition of Fellow

Fellow (noun)

  1. comrade, associate
  2. an equal in rank, power, or character, peer
  3. one of a pair, mate

Fellow (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a male romantic companion

    "most of the players were bringing their fellows to the banquet in the clubhouse after the tennis tournament"

    similar: beau, boy, boyfriend, man, old man, swain
    related: admirer, crush, steady, gallant, suitor, wooer, beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, significant other, soulmate, spark, sparker, squeeze (slang), sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetie pie, valentine, fancy man, gigolo, date, escort, groom, husband, fiancé, intended

  2. a person frequently seen in the company of another

    "the singer's fellows were rumored to have ties to organized crime"

    similar: associate, cohort, companion, compatriot, compeer, comrade, crony, hobnobber, mate, running mate
    related: colleague, coworker, equal, peer, workmate, accomplice, affiliate, ally, collaborator, confederate, half, partner, buddy, chum, confidant, familiar, friend, hearty, intimate, pal, countryman, classmate, housemate, messmate, playfellow, playmate, roommate, schoolmate, shipmate, teammate, attendant, escort, hanger-on, leech, parasite

  3. an adult male human being

    "what does a fellow have to do to get waited on around here?"

    "your son is a bright young fellow"

    similar: bastard, bloke (chiefly British), buck, cat, chap (chiefly British), chappie (British), dude, fella, galoot (slang), gent, gentleman, guy, hombre, jack, joe, joker, lad, male, man
    related: master, mister, sir, buddy, buster

  4. either of a pair matched in one or more qualities

    "one ice skate isn't much good without its fellow"

    similar: companion, half, match, mate, twin
    related: coordinate, coequal, counterpart, equal, equivalent, like, parallel, peer, rival, carbon copy, double, duplicate, facsimile, identical twin, likeness, mirror image, replica, ringer, analogue, similarity
    near: antipode, antithesis, contrary, converse, opposite, reverse

  5. one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value

    "he is well regarded as a chemist by his fellows in the field"

    similar: coequal, compeer, coordinate, counterpart, equal, equivalent, like, match, parallel, peer, rival
    related: analogue, double, half, mate, twin, associate, colleague, companion, copartner, partner, competitor

Related Entry: Fellow traveler (noun)

Fellow traveler is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for fellow traveler, not for fellow.

  1. someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support

    "he was not a member of the political group or even a fellow traveler"

    similar: abettor, ally, backer, bedfellow, confederate, supporter, sympathizer
    related: empathizer, well-wisher, accessory, accomplice, coalitionist, collaborationist, collaborator, adjunct, assistant, coadjutor, helper, associate, cohort, colleague, fellow, partner, buddy, chum, companion, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, friend, intimate, mate, pal
    near: belittler, detractor, adversary, enemy, foe, opponent

Related Entry: Fellow travelers (noun)

Fellow travelers is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for fellow travelers, not for fellow.

  1. someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support

    "he was not a member of the political group or even a fellow traveler"

    similar: abettors, allies, backers, bedfellows, confederates, supporters, sympathizers
    related: empathizers, well-wishers, accessories, accomplices, coalitionists, collaborationists, collaborators, adjuncts, assistants, coadjutors, helpers, associates, cohorts, colleagues, fellows, partners, buddies, chums, companions, comrades, confidants, cronies, familiars, friends, intimates, mates, pals
    near: belittlers, detractors, adversaries, enemies, foes, opponents

Related Entry: Hail-fellow (adjective)

Hail-fellow is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for hail-fellow, not for fellow.

  1. having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest

    "has the hail-fellow manner of an automobile salesman with something up his sleeve"

    similar: amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey (chiefly British), neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy (slang), warm, warmhearted
    related: affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, close, familiar, intimate, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted
    opposite: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly
    near: alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsociable, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inhospitable, inimical

Related Entry: Hail-fellow-well-met (adjective)

Hail-fellow-well-met is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for hail-fellow-well-met, not for fellow.

  1. having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest

    "a hail-fellow-well-met politician who genuinely enjoys pressing the flesh"

    similar: amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hearty, matey (chiefly British), neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy (slang), warm, warmhearted
    related: affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, close, familiar, intimate, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted
    opposite: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly
    near: alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsociable, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inhospitable, inimical

Related Entry: Hail-fellow-well-met (noun)

Hail-fellow-well-met is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for hail-fellow-well-met, not for fellow.

  1. as in buddy, hail-fellow

    similar: buddy, chum, compadre, crony, fellow, hail-fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, musketeer, pal, amigo, friend, abettor, accomplice, ally, collaborator, colleague, comrade, confederate, friendly, partner, adherent, disciple, follower, backer, benefactor, exponent, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher
    opposite: adversary, antagonist, enemy, foe, hostile, opponent, archenemy, archfoe, nemesis, ill-wisher

Related Entry: Hail-fellow (noun)

Hail-fellow is a different word from Fellow. The synonyms below are for hail-fellow, not for fellow.

  1. as in buddy, hail-fellow-well-met

    similar: buddy, chum, compadre, crony, fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, hobnobber, mate, musketeer, pal, amigo, friend, abettor, accomplice, ally, collaborator, colleague, comrade, confederate, friendly, partner, adherent, disciple, follower, backer, benefactor, exponent, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher
    opposite: adversary, antagonist, enemy, foe, hostile, opponent, archenemy, archfoe, nemesis, ill-wisher

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fellow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fellow:

Chiefly British: bloke, chap
British: chappie
Slang: galoot
beau, boy, boyfriend, man, old man, swain, associate, cohort, companion, compatriot, compeer, comrade, crony, hobnobber, mate, running mate, bastard, buck, cat, dude, fella, gent, gentleman, guy, hombre, jack, joe, joker, lad, male, half, match, twin, coequal, coordinate, counterpart, equal, equivalent, like, parallel

Related Words for Fellow

admirer, crush, steady, gallant, suitor, wooer, beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, significant other, soulmate, spark, sparker, squeeze, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetie pie, valentine, fancy man, gigolo, date, escort, groom, husband

Near Antonyms of Fellow

antipode, antithesis, contrary, converse, opposite, reverse

Origin & Etymology of Fellow

Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse fēlagi, from fēlag partnership, from fē cattle, money + lag act of laying

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Fellow

Words & Phrases Containing Fellow

fellow feeling, fellow man, fellow servant, fellow traveler, good fellow, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, Odd Fellow

Frequently Asked Questions about Fellow

What does "Fellow" mean?

"Fellow" means comrade, associate. As a noun, it is defined as: comrade, associate. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fellow"?

Other words for "Fellow" include beau, boy, boyfriend, man, old man, swain, associate and cohort. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fellow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fellow"?

There are 126 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fellow". Common alternatives include beau, boy, boyfriend, man, old man, swain, associate, cohort, companion and compatriot.

How do you use "Fellow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fellow" in a sentence: "most of the players were bringing their fellows to the banquet in the clubhouse after the tennis tournament"; "the singer's fellows were rumored to have ties to organized crime"; "what does a fellow have to do to get waited on around here?".

Is "Fellow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fellow" is a noun.

Is "Fellow" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Fellow" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Fellow"?

"Fellow" is pronounced /ˈfe-(ˌ)lō/ and divided into syllables as fel·low.

What is the origin of the word "Fellow"?

"Fellow" comes from Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse fēlagi, from fēlag partnership, from fē cattle, money + lag act of laying. First known use: before 12th century.