pants

American  

[pants] / pænts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. trousers.

2. underpants, especially for women and children; panties.

3. British. men's underpants, especially long drawers.

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idioms

1. wear the pants, to have the dominant role; be in charge.

   I guess we know who wears the pants in that family.

pants British  

/ pænts /

plural noun

1. an undergarment reaching from the waist to the thighs or knees

2. Also called: trousers.  a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs

3. informal to bore extremely

4. informal to scare extremely

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adjective

1. slang inferior

pants More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing pants

• ants in one's pants
• beat the pants off
• caught with one's pants down
• get the lead out of (one's pants)
• kick in the pants
• seat of the pants
• talk someone's arm (pants) off
• wear the pants

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Usage

What is a basic definition of pants? Pants are an article of clothing that extends from the waist to around the ankles and fits around each leg. Also known as trousers, pants are worn by people of all genders and ages. As opposed to a dress or a skirt, pants are divided down the middle and have openings for each leg. The fabric of pants wrap around each leg and usually extends to the ankles or at least past the knees. A single item of this clothing is called “a pair of pants” and multiple items are called “pairs of pants.” This article of clothing is never referred to as a “pant.”Pants is a general term for this type of clothing and is further divided into other specific kinds of pants, depending on fabric and cut. Jeans are pants made out of denim or corduroy, while leggings are close-fitting pants, often made out of a stretchy material like spandex. An article of clothing that is identical to pants but stops at or before the knee is referred to as a pair of shorts.

• Used in a sentence: She bought three new pairs of pants to wear with her new sweater. 

Among British English speakers, trousers is used to describe this article of clothing. Pants is used specifically to refer to undergarments, especially long drawers worn by men.

Etymology

Origin of pants

1830–40; short for pantaloons

Explanation

In the UK, pants are undergarments or underwear. If you're from the U.S. or Canada, pants are the clothes you wear over your underwear, pulling them on one long leg at a time. In most English-speaking countries, the garments you wear under your clothing are known as undies, underpants, or panties, but in the UK, they're pants. If you ask your British friend to show you their new pants, they may look shocked — but anyone from North America will know you mean jeans or trousers. Pants was a 19th-century shortened version of pantaloons, named after a character in Italian comedies of the 1500s who wore tight trousers.

Example Sentences

Pants and cuffs still need to be hemmed to say nothing of bridal, prom and other special-occasion clothes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Lively's former castmates from "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" posted a statement to their Instagrams to "stand in solidarity" with Lively.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2025

An ultrasound revealed an issue with the thickness of Byrne's womb lining, which she described in her new book Desperate Rants and Magic Pants as an "unfixable rare genetic defect".

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2024

Pants are see-through and caps are too bright.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2024

Anyone who wanted to take it easy and not be bothered had better not have a company like Levy Pants.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• knickers
• shorts
• slacks
• trousers
• underpants