pants
/pænts/ (bre, ipa) · /pænts/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpan(t)s/ (ame, mw)
pants — noun
1. in British English, a short piece of clothing worn next to the skin under your t
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.
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
The hotel laundry returned my shirts but lost two pairs of pants.
Sarah blushed when the dog ran into the garden carrying her pants.
Boys in the changing room kept flicking each other with rolled-up pants.
- 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
文法句型
a pair of pants
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
2. in American English, an item of outer clothing made of two long tube-shaped piec
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.
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
Dad spilled coffee on his work pants right before the morning meeting.
The shop sells children's pants in many bright colors and sizes.
Maya bought a pair of warm pants for the ski trip in Colorado.
文法句型
a pair of pants
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
pants — adjective
1. in British slang, used to say that something is poor in quality, or that someone
in British slang, used to say that something is poor in quality, or that someone is bad at doing a particular activity.
Honestly, the new sequel is pants — don't waste your money on a cinema ticket.
predicative: be + pants for poor quality
Marcus is absolutely pants at parking; he hit the kerb three times today.
be pants at + activity
The hotel breakfast was pants, just stale toast and weak tea.
I thought the school play was going to be pants, but it actually made us laugh.
文法句型
be pants
be pants at something
用法筆記
Almost always used predicatively after 'be' (✅ 'the film is pants'), not before a noun (❌ 'a pants film'). Common in casual British speech and writing; avoid it in formal contexts.
常見錯誤
2. used before another noun to describe parts, features or accessories that go with
used before another noun to describe parts, features or accessories that go with a pair of pants.
Marcus felt for his keys in the right pants pocket but found only coins.
attributive: pants + noun (pocket)
The pants leg got caught on a nail and tore at the knee.
pants leg / pants pocket
Lina shortened the pants hem by two centimetres to fit her new shoes.
Marcus forgot to fasten the pants button after trying on the suit in the fitting room.
- trouser
British equivalent attributive form, as in 'trouser pocket'
文法句型
pants + noun
用法筆記
Only used in front of a noun (pants pocket, pants leg, pants hem). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names parts of the garment, while sense 1 is a slang quality judgment.
常見錯誤
pants — verb
1. to suddenly pull down someone's trousers in front of others, usually as a cruel
to suddenly pull down someone's trousers in front of others, usually as a cruel joke or to embarrass them.
Two older boys pantsed Marcus in the school corridor and ran off laughing.
transitive: pants + person
The coach warned the team that anyone caught pantsing a teammate would be sent home.
informal prank verb, often passive
Carlos got pantsed during the football match and had to keep playing.
Mia still remembers being pantsed at summer camp twenty years ago.
- depants
less common American variant, same meaning
文法句型
pants + somebody
用法筆記
Very informal and frequently passive ('be pantsed', 'get pantsed'). The action is treated as bullying in most schools, so the verb often appears in disciplinary or anti-bullying contexts.