panties

panties — noun

1. a light piece of clothing that women and girls wear under skirts or trousers, fi

1.nounB1
Definition

a light piece of clothing that women and girls wear under skirts or trousers, fitting around the waist and between the legs to cover the lower body.

Example

Minh bought three pairs of soft cotton panties at the department store.

pair(s) of [material] panties

The little girl's panties had tiny strawberry patterns printed all over them.

Common collocations
  • pair of panties
  • cotton panties
  • lace panties
  • clean panties
  • dirty panties
Synonyms
  • underwear

    the general term for any undergarment worn next to the skin; less specific than 'panties'

  • knickers

    British English term for women's underpants; slightly old-fashioned or formal in UK usage

  • undies

    informal term, used for both men's and women's underwear in casual speech

Grammar Patterns

pair of + panties

possessive + panties

Usage Note

Always used in the plural form, like trousers or shorts. A single item is referred to as 'a pair of panties' or simply 'some panties'. The singular form 'panty' is very rare and usually appears only in compound words such as 'pantyhose'.

Common Mistakes

He bought new panties for himself.
He bought new underwear for himself.
'panties' is used for women's and girls' garments; men's underwear is called 'underwear', 'boxers', or 'briefs'.
I need to wash my panty.
I need to wash my panties.' or 'I need to wash a pair of panties.
'panties' is always plural; the singular 'panty' is not standard for a single garment.
Idioms

get your panties in a bunch

idiom

To become very angry or upset about something that is not important.

Dad got his panties in a bunch over the broken vase.

Why are you getting your panties in a bunch about a small mistake?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Panties' refers specifically to women's and girls' close-fitting underpants. 'Underwear' is the broadest term, covering any garment worn beneath outer clothing by either gender. 'Knickers' is the British English equivalent but can sound old-fashioned; younger UK speakers often use 'pants' instead, which creates confusion with American English 'pants' (trousers). 'Undies' is a casual, affectionate diminutive used for both genders. 'Briefs' describes a specific cut — snug-fitting, legless underpants — worn by men, women, and children. For example: 'She bought new lace panties for the trip' (specific garment for women), while 'He prefers cotton briefs for sports' (specific cut for men).

underwear ↗knickersundiesbriefs

Common collocations

Phrases

  • pair of panties
  • a pack of panties

Etymology

EnglishFrenchItalian

'Panties' is a diminutive form of 'pants', which originally referred to a type of men's trousers in the 1700s. By the 1800s, 'pants' had become a term for undergarments, and the smaller, lighter version for women and children was called 'panties'. The '-ies' ending adds a sense of smallness or familiarity, similar to 'doggies' or 'kitties'.