underpants

American

[uhn-der-pants] / ˈʌn dərˌpænts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

drawers or shorts worn under outer clothing, usually next to the skin.

underpants British

/ ˈʌndəˌpænts /

plural noun

Often shortened to: pants. a man's undergarment covering the body from the waist or hips to the top of the thighs or knees

"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

Etymology

Origin of underpants

First recorded in 1920–25; under- + pants

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.

Joining NFL team without a good QB is scarier than showing up to Day One in your underpants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

“This is way different from when you’re in your underpants on your couch eating Cheerios, yelling at the TV,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025

"Further, our members are adults. They do not need to be given instructions by the media about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery or underpants."

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2024

"We had a great day, and we were soaked to the underpants... I thought we were going to do stuff like that again, but we're not, unfortunately."

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2023

It’s only later, when I step into the bathroom and sit down on the toilet and find a single red spot of blood in my underpants.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023