pajama
Americanadjective
Usage
What does pajama mean? The word pajama, without an s, is used as a modifier in terms involving pajamas—the clothes you wear to sleep in.It’s used in terms like pajama pants, pajama top, and pajama party.It is typically spelled as pyjama by speakers of British English (who use the spelling pyjamas for the noun).You could say that whatever clothes you change into before going to bed are your pajamas. Traditionally, though, pajamas are specifically made and sold as clothes for sleeping in, typically consisting of soft, loose-fitting pants or shorts and a (sometimes matching) top. There are many different types and styles, such as nightgowns. Clothes considered pajamas aren’t only worn for sleeping—many people wear them as loungewear.The word pajamas is commonly and informally abbreviated as p.j.’s, and the term p.j. can be used as an informal replacement of pajama, as in p.j. pants. The word jammies is an even more informal word for pajamas, and the word jammie can replace pajama in the same way, as in jammie pants.Example: I have a lot of pajama bottoms that I wear around the house, but I never sleep in them.
Etymology
Origin of pajama
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.
Global pajama sales are expected to total nearly $12.5 billion this year and are projected to grow to roughly $21.5 billion by 2035, according to one research report.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
Paid influencers across Europe have posted hundreds of videos of free pajama sets, hair dryers and coffee cups they’ve gotten on Temu free thanks to promotions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
An entire pajama set is available for $248.
From Salon • Nov. 9, 2025
As for the putative rap opponent, he wasn’t listed on the flyer for the pajama party, never appeared at the event and later claimed on social media that he didn’t even know about it.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025
His pants were baggy, and his shirt wasn’t really a shirt but a pajama top covered with high-tailed roosters.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
