pants: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal (esp. UK), Neutral (US for clothing)
Quick answer
What does “pants” mean?
An outer garment covering the body from the waist to the ankles, with a separate part for each leg.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An outer garment covering the body from the waist to the ankles, with a separate part for each leg.
Used metaphorically or idiomatically to denote worthlessness, fear, or, when used adjectivally, something exceptionally bad.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In US: outerwear (trousers). In UK: underwear (US 'underpants').
Connotations
In UK slang, 'pants' as an adjective means 'rubbish' or 'very poor'. This connotation is less common in US English.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in US English for clothing; high frequency in UK English for underwear. The adjectival sense ('rubbish') is common in informal UK speech.
Grammar
How to Use “pants” in a Sentence
She pants (verb) from exertion.He bought a pair of pants (noun).The film was pants (adjective, UK).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pants” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He was panting after running for the bus.
American English
- The dog panted heavily in the summer heat.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard)
American English
- (Not standard)
adjective
British English
- The new policy is absolutely pants.
- He's a pants goalkeeper.
American English
- (Rare, UK borrowing) That joke was pants, dude.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Neutral in US ('business casual includes dress pants'); avoided in formal UK writing in favour of 'trousers'.
Academic
Rare, except in historical or cultural studies discussing dress.
Everyday
Extremely common in both varieties, but with the crucial UK/US meaning difference.
Technical
Used in fashion and textile industries with the local meaning.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pants”
- A UK speaker in the US might ask to buy 'pants' and be directed to the underwear section.
- A US speaker in the UK might compliment someone's 'nice pants' and cause offence, having commented on their underwear.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is always grammatically plural (like 'trousers', 'scissors'), even when referring to one item: 'These pants are dirty.'
Yes, but it is a different word (a homograph). The verb 'to pant' means to breathe quickly and loudly, e.g., after exercise.
It's an extension from 'underpants' as something basic, intimate, and potentially silly or worthless, emerging in late 20th-century slang.
Use the word 'trousers'. If you are in the UK and say 'pants', people will think you mean underwear.
An outer garment covering the body from the waist to the ankles, with a separate part for each leg.
Pants is usually informal (esp. uk), neutral (us for clothing) in register.
Pants: in British English it is pronounced /pænts/, and in American English it is pronounced /pænts/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to wear the pants (in the family)”
- “to scare the pants off someone”
- “to fly by the seat of one's pants”
- “caught with one's pants down”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Pants are garments with two separate PANes/parts for the legs, like a double-paned window.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLOTHING FOR (LACK OF) QUALITY (UK: 'This weather is pants') // CONTROL ('She wears the pants in that relationship').
Practice
Quiz
What is the most likely meaning of 'pants' in the American English sentence: 'He forgot to zip his pants.'?