pants

pants — noun

1. in British English, a short piece of clothing worn next to the skin under your t

1.nounB1
Definition

in British English, a short piece of clothing worn next to the skin under your trousers or skirt, around the hips and the top of the thighs.

Example

Marcus packed five pairs of clean pants and socks for the school trip.

countable form: a pair of pants / pairs of pants

Lina hung her wet pants and bras on the radiator to dry overnight.

British underwear sense, paired with bras

Common collocations
  • a pair of pants
  • clean pants
  • wet pants
  • put on your pants
Synonyms
  • underpants

    neutral, used by both men and women in British English

  • knickers

    British, usually for women's or girls' underwear

  • briefs

    close-fitting style, often men's

Grammar Patterns

a pair of pants

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: in Britain this means underwear, but in the United States the same word refers to trousers. To avoid confusion with American readers, British speakers often say 'underpants' or 'knickers'.

Common Mistakes

I bought new pants for my job interview' (UK English, meaning trousers).
I bought new trousers for my job interview.
in British English, 'pants' means underwear, not trousers.

2. in American English, an item of outer clothing made of two long tube-shaped piec

2.nounA1
Definition

in American English, an item of outer clothing made of two long tube-shaped pieces joined at the hip, with a separate tube wrapping each leg from the waist down to roughly the ankle.

Example

Carlos rolled up his pants before stepping into the shallow river.

American outer-clothing sense; collocates with 'roll up'

These black pants are too tight around the waist and need to be returned.

tight pants / loose pants

Common collocations
  • a pair of pants
  • tight pants
  • work pants
  • roll up your pants
Synonyms
  • trousers

    the standard British English word for the same garment

  • slacks

    older or more formal American word for casual or dress pants

  • jeans

    narrower term, only for pants made from denim

Grammar Patterns

a pair of pants

Usage Note

Always plural in form even when referring to one garment; use 'a pair of pants' when counting. Distinguish from sense 1: in the US this is the everyday word for what British speakers call 'trousers'.

Common Mistakes

I need a new pant for the wedding.
I need new pants for the wedding.
the noun is plural in form; you can also say 'a pair of pants'.
Idioms

bore, scare, etc. the pants off somebody

idiom

To make someone feel a very strong emotion, such as boredom or fear.

The long lecture bored the pants off the students.

That horror movie scared the pants off my little brother.

(fly) by the seat of your pants

idiom

To do something without planning, relying on your instincts and luck.

Min had no map, so she flew by the seat of her pants.

We planned nothing; we just went by the seat of our pants.

catch somebody with their pants down

idiom

To surprise someone when they are not ready or in an embarrassing situation.

The pop quiz caught the students with their pants down.

The reporter caught the politician with his pants down.

have ants in your pants

idiom

To be very restless or excited and unable to sit still.

The kids had ants in their pants before the trip.

Sara had ants in her pants waiting for the results.

wear the pants

idiom

To be the dominant person in a relationship who makes the decisions.

In their marriage, it's clear that Maya wears the pants.

Who wears the pants in your household, Brian?

wet your pants/knickers

idiom

To accidentally urinate in your underwear.

The toddler wet his pants while laughing.

Diego was so scared he almost wet his pants.

pants — adjective

pants — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

In American English, 'pants' is the everyday word for the two-legged outer garment worn from the waist to the ankle, fitting any context from school to work. 'Trousers' is the British equivalent and sounds slightly more formal in American mouths, often suggesting tailored office wear. 'Slacks' is older and more specific: lightweight, loose-fitting dress pants, especially for women's office or smart-casual outfits — your grandmother might wear slacks to lunch, but a teenager would not. 'Jeans' is narrower again: only pants made from denim, usually blue, casual rather than formal. So Maya could call her ski trousers 'pants' (general) or 'snow pants' (specific); calling them 'slacks' would sound wrong, and 'jeans' would only fit if they were made of denim.

pants ↗trousers ↗slacksjeans ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pants pocket
  • pants leg
  • pants hem
  • pants button
  • pair of pants

Adverbs

  • absolutely (pants)
  • totally (pants)

Phrases

  • a pair of pants
  • put on your pants
  • take off your pants
  • roll up your pants

Prepositions

  • in (your) pants
  • down (your) pants
  • out of (your) pants

Etymology

ItalianFrenchAmerican EnglishEnglish

The word 'pants' is a shortened form of 'pantaloons', a long, tight-fitting trouser style popular in the early 1800s. 'Pantaloons' itself came from 'Pantalone', a thin, comic old man in Italian commedia dell'arte who wore distinctive long leg coverings. American English shortened the name to 'pants' in the mid-1800s, and the short form quickly became the everyday word in the United States. In Britain, 'pants' kept moving down the body and shifted to mean underwear, while 'trousers' stayed for the outer garment. The British slang adjective meaning 'rubbish' grew out of the underwear sense in the late 20th century, suggesting that something is as worthless as a dirty pair of pants.