pant
verb (used without object)
to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.
pant
1 American
[pant]
/ pænt /
verb (used without object)
-
pants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panted,
past participle, past
-
panting
present participle
-
to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.
-
to gasp, as for air.
-
to long with breathless or intense eagerness; yearn.
to pant for revenge.
-
to throb or heave violently or rapidly; palpitate.
-
to emit steam or the like in loud puffs.
-
Nautical. (of the bow or stern of a ship) to work with the shock of contact with a succession of waves.
verb (used with object)
-
pants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panted,
past participle, past
-
panting
present participle
noun
-
the act of panting.
-
a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; gasp.
-
a puff, as of an engine.
-
a throb or heave, as of the breast.
pant-
3
American
pant
British
/ pænt /
verb
-
to breathe with noisy deep gasps, as when out of breath from exertion or excitement
-
to say (something) while breathing thus
-
to have a frantic desire (for); yearn
-
(intr) to pulsate; throb rapidly
noun
-
the act or an instance of panting
-
a short deep gasping noise; puff
Usage
What does pant- mean? Pant- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “all.” It is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. Pant- comes from the Greek pâs, meaning “all.” The equivalent form derived from Latin is omni-, as in omnivore, which comes from Latin omnis, “all.”What are variants of pan-?Pant- is a variant of panto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Another common variant of pant- is pan-, as in panhuman. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on pan- and panto-.
Synonym Usage
Pant, gasp suggest breathing with more effort than usual. Pant suggests rapid, convulsive breathing, as from violent exertion or excitement: to pant after running for the train. Gasp suggests catching one's breath in a single quick intake, as from amazement, terror, and the like, or a series of such quick intakes of breath, as in painful breathing: to gasp with horror; to gasp for breath.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pantsimple
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pantssimple
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have pantedperfect
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has pantedperfect
-
am pantingprogressive
-
are pantingprogressive
-
is pantingprogressive
-
have been pantingperfect progressive
-
has been pantingperfect progressive
Past
-
pantedsimple
-
had pantedperfect
-
was pantingprogressive
-
were pantingprogressive
-
had been pantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pant1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb panten, from Old French pant(a)is(i)er, from unattested Vulgar Latin phantasiāre “to have visions,” from Greek phantasioûn “to have or form images”; see fantasy
Origin of pant2
First recorded in 1890–95; singular of pants
Explanation
When you breathe hard and fast, you pant. It's perfectly normal to pant after you finish running a marathon — or even after chasing your runaway dog through the neighborhood. You might pause at the top of a hill to pant and catch your breath before you continue on your hike. That loud, gasping breath itself is also a pant — but when this noun is plural, it means trousers, slacks, or jeans. Be careful, though — in parts of the UK, pants are primarily women's undergarments. Any pants you wear on you body come from pantaloons, which in the 1600s meant tights.
Vocabulary lists containing pant
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Across So Many Seas
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"They pant after running just 50 metres," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
While throwing, the chimpanzees pant hoot — a loud, long-distance communicative signal — and sometimes repeatedly hit their hands and feet on the tree in a behavior called buttress drumming.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
These giant pants had these huge pockets in them, and I would put a big, gallon Ziploc bag with a clean T-shirt and clean socks inside the pant pocket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Bennett completed the training late last year and is now a tailor’s apprentice at the department-store chain, where he is getting real-life experience on the intricacies of pant hems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Riccio rubbed his greasy fingers on his pant legs.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
Visions of youth whose reverence is scant, Who with the brutal verve of boyhood's prime Insist on being taken to the pant- -omime.
From Modern British Poetry by Louis Untermeyer
"We also stripped down to our pants quite a lot," Brydon told The Times.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Their shirts and pants are dotted with holes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Devoted Cliffe fans have dressed as him for Halloween, donning khaki pants, a blue button-down and Asics sneakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Actual pants, made from the grocery store’s reusable bags.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
This sure beat the pants off marketing for day-old meats.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
"I need to go back to the gym," he panted as the song ended.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
In exam rooms, elementary schoolers panted from fungal pneumonia, terrified by their breathlessness.
From Slate ● Jan. 31, 2025
The corgi panted rapidly, her wide eyes fixed on the bustling surgical room at Insight Veterinary Wellness Center in the Sacramento suburb of El Dorado Hills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
It was warm enough that babies slept on their parents’ shoulders and dogs panted in their owners’ shadows.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 4, 2022
“Bin in the forest all day!” he panted.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Waiting for him at the end of each day’s journey was not a warm bed but another audience, panting for a performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
On certain climbs, I topped out panting and exhausted, then realized my bike was in its hardest gear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Elaine Yule, 38, and Kim Postlethwaite, 39, were panting as they got to the top of the steps.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
When the congregation responds with rhythmic panting that slowly builds to shrieks of grief and passion, Ann finally feels at home — the burdens she’s been carrying all her life, cast into the ether.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025
A crackling on the line: The American was back, panting, out of breath.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
