final girl

noun

plural final girls

: the protagonist of a slasher horror movie or novel who is typically a young woman, who is the last of the serial killer's intended victims to survive or remain, and who ultimately confronts the killer

The "final girl" is a trope familiar to film scholars and horror-movie fans. She's the young woman who makes it out of the slasher flick alive, the one who lives to tell the tale.

—Kirkus Reviews

Examples of final girl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While mulling over ideas, Kris decides to visit the franchise’s original final girl, the reclusive Billie (played mesmerizingly by Gillian Anderson, complete with a southern accent). — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

Billy played the final girl in the 1983 original film, then disappeared. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Thrillers usually end with a final girl, but Riley Sager's journey began with one. — Felecia Wellington Radel, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for final girl

• burl
• churl
• earl
• hurl
• merl
• merle
• perle
• swirl
• twirl
• whirl
• whorl
• cowgirl