What does "pants" mean?
An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers.
Pants
adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers.
- Grammar: pants is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aeroplane, airplane, awful, bags.
- Useful contrasts: icelandic lungi, caftans, dashikis.
- Usage evidence: Oh, my white pants! And they were new.
How to use "pants"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pants" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pants" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pants" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pants" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pants" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aeroplane" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pants", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers. Australia, Canada, India, New-Zealand, Northern-England, Philippines, Singapore, South-Africa, US, plural, plural-only
"“But they cover the legs,” Joseph explained. “That is the only reason my people wear pants: to cover the legs in the winter, or when traveling through rough country, full of thorns. In warm weather, or in open country, pants are unnecessary, uncomfortable, and foolish.”"
- 2 plural of pant form-of, plural
- 3 (used in the plural) underpants worn by women wordnet
- 4 An undergarment that covers the genitals and often the buttocks and the neighbouring parts of the body; underpants. UK, plural, plural-only
"I decided to pass up her underclothes, not from feelings of delicacy, but because I couldn't see myself putting her pants on and snapping her brassière."
- 5 Rubbish; something worthless. UK, plural, plural-only, slang
"You're talking pants!"
Verb
- 1 To pull someone’s pants down; to forcibly remove someone’s pants.
"Keith Gerber has been pantsed twice already this summer by Lannie and Cling, and so his face is more resolved, the fear tempered by the fact that he understands these things to be inevitable."
- 2 third-person singular simple present indicative of pant form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Adjective
- 1 Of inferior quality, rubbish. British, slang
"Your mobile is pants — why don’t you get one like mine?"
Proper Noun
- 1 plural of Pant form-of, plural
Example
"Oh, my white pants! And they were new."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pants"?
Common synonyms include: aeroplane, airplane, awful, bags, bells, bermuda shorts.
How do you use "pants" in a sentence?
Oh, my white pants! And they were new.
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek πᾶς (pâs) Ancient Greek ἔλεος (éleos) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek ἐλεέω (eleéō) Proto-Indo-European *-mṓ Ancient Greek -μων (-mōn) Ancient Greek ἐλεήμων (eleḗmōn) Ancient Greek Παντελεήμων (Panteleḗmōn)bor. Spanish Pantaleónder. Italian Pantaloneder. French pantalonbor. English pantaloon English pantaloons English pants Shortened from pantaloons (“trousers”): borrowed from French pantalon, itself derived from Italian Pantalone, one of the principal characters found in commedia dell'arte, who wore tight trousers. Doublet of pantsu. The verb is from the noun.