pant

1
[ pant ]
See synonyms for: pantpantedpantingpants on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
  1. to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.

  2. to gasp, as for air.

  1. to long with breathless or intense eagerness; yearn: to pant for revenge.

  2. to throb or heave violently or rapidly; palpitate.

  3. to emit steam or the like in loud puffs.

  4. Nautical. (of the bow or stern of a ship) to work with the shock of contact with a succession of waves.: Compare work (def. 24).

verb (used with object)
  1. to breathe or utter gaspingly.

noun
  1. the act of panting.

  2. a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; gasp.

  1. a puff, as of an engine.

  2. a throb or heave, as of the breast.

Origin of pant

1
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

synonym study For pant

1. 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 words for pant

Other words from pant

  • pant·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·pant·ing, adjective

Other definitions for pant (2 of 3)

pant2
[ pant ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to pants: pant cuffs.

Origin of pant

2
First recorded in 1890–95; singular of pants

Other definitions for pant- (3 of 3)

pant-

  1. variant of panto- before a vowel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pant in a sentence

  • Somebody had scuffed his right shoe in getting out and now he pulled up the pant leg of his dark grey suit to study it ruefully.

  • His grief was superb, a splendid grief, masculine and strong, which compressed his lips and made him pant.

    The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet
  • Robinson now began to pant audibly, and finding he could not shake the hunter off, he with some reluctance prepared another game.

  • We soon lost her, for we often paused to pant and lean against one another for a moment's respite in this strange memorable race.

    The Late Miss Hollingford | Rosa Mulholland
  • But he laboured on with the disabled scissors, and only succeeded in scratching the smooth marble a little; he stopped to pant.

    The Tinted Venus | F. Anstey

British Dictionary definitions for pant

pant

/ (pænt) /


verb
  1. to breathe with noisy deep gasps, as when out of breath from exertion or excitement

  2. to say (something) while breathing thus

  1. (intr often foll by for) to have a frantic desire (for); yearn

  2. (intr) to pulsate; throb rapidly

noun
  1. the act or an instance of panting

  2. a short deep gasping noise; puff

Origin of pant

1
C15: from Old French pantaisier, from Greek phantasioun to have visions, from phantasia fantasy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012