ENGLISH
REFERENCE

puppies

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈpəpiz// UK //pˈʌpɪz// pup·pies

n. young dogs that are not yet fully grown. You use this word to talk about baby dogs before they become adults.

n. young domestic dogs, typically under one year of age. Plural form of 'puppy'.


SIMPLE

The puppies are playing with a ball in the garden.

CONTEXTUAL

The local animal shelter currently has a litter of six golden retriever puppies available for adoption.

COMPLEX

While adult dogs are often more settled, puppies require significant time and patience for house-training and socialisation during their first few months of life.

Synonyms
Usage

The plural form of 'puppy'; the 'y' changes to 'i' before adding 'es'.

© 2026 English Reference