noun
Very common
felt
FEHLT
Felt (noun) means a dense fabric made by matting and pressing fibers, usually wool, rather than weaving them. Example: “She cut shapes out of red felt for the holiday craft.”
noun
1
A dense fabric made by matting and pressing fibers, usually wool, rather than weaving them.
"She cut shapes out of red felt for the holiday craft."
"Old pianos have small hammers covered in soft felt."
"This hat is made of thick grey felt and keeps your ears warm."
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of "feel."
"She felt nervous before the interview."
"I felt the ground shake as the lorry went past."
"They felt sure that the shop would still be open."
2
To mat fibers together into felt, or cover something with felt.
"The pool table was freshly felted before the tournament."
"She felted the wool by rolling it in warm soapy water."
"The craftsman felted the inside of the box to protect the jewellery."
How to use felt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually just the past tense of "feel" ("I felt tired"), but also a standalone noun for the matted woolen fabric used in crafts, hats, and pool tables.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- felts
- Third person singular
- felts
- Past tense
- felted
- Comparative
- more felt
- Superlative
- most felt
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She cut shapes out of red _____ for the holiday craft.
Etymology
From Old English felt, going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to beat" — felt is made by beating and pressing fibers together, not weaving them.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for felt
See all rhymes for felt →Frequently asked questions
What does “felt” mean?
The word “felt” means a dense fabric made by matting and pressing fibers, usually wool, rather than weaving them. In plain terms, usually just the past tense of "feel" ("I felt tired"), but also a standalone noun for the matted woolen fabric used in crafts, hats, and pool tables.
How do you pronounce “felt”?
“Felt” is pronounced FEHLT (/ˈfɛlt/ in IPA).
How do you use “felt” in a sentence?
Here is “felt” used in a sentence: “She cut shapes out of red felt for the holiday craft.”
What part of speech is “felt”?
Depending on how it is used, “felt” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “felt” come from?
The word “felt” comes from Old English. From Old English felt, going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to beat" — felt is made by beating and pressing fibers together, not weaving them.
Is “felt” a common word?
“Felt” is a very common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “felt” have?
“Felt” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dense fabric made by matting and pressing fibers, usually wool, rather than weaving them.
What is the difference between felt and fell?
Felt is a fabric made by pressing fibres together, and it is also the past tense of the verb feel. Fell is different: it is the past tense of fall, a verb meaning to cut down a tree, and in some regions a word for a hill or moorland. They only sound similar.
What is felt made of and how is it made?
Felt is usually made from wool or other animal fibres, though synthetic fibres are also used. Rather than being woven, the fibres are pressed together with heat, moisture, and pressure until they mat and lock into a dense sheet. This matting process is what makes felt one of the oldest known fabrics.
Is felt a woven fabric?
No. Felt is a non-woven fabric, which sets it apart from most cloth. Woven materials are made by interlacing threads at right angles, but felt has no threads or weave at all. Instead its fibres are matted and compressed into a solid mass, giving it a smooth, dense surface and edges that do not fray.
What is felt used for?
Felt is valued for being soft, dense, and easy to cut without fraying. It appears in crafts, hats, slippers, and toys, as protective padding, and as insulation. Its smooth surface also covers snooker and pool tables and lines jewellery boxes. Coloured craft felt is especially popular in schools and hobbies.
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