pants
pants
Pronunciation
pants
/pænts/
pan-: /p/, /æ/, /n/
ts: /t/, /s/
Word Form Variations
Singular: pant (less common in everyday use for the garment, but can refer to one leg of the garment or a single instance of the verb "to pant")
Plural: pants
Verb (base form): pant
Verb (third person singular present): pants
Verb (present participle): panting
Verb (past simple/past participle): panted
Adjective: panting (as in "a panting dog")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A garment covering the body from the waist to the ankles, with a separate section for each leg. This garment is typically worn by both men and women.
Synonyms: trousers, slacks, britches (dated), breeches (historical/specialized)
Antonyms: skirt, dress (referring to garments that do not cover each leg separately)
Definition 2 (informal, often pluralized "pants"): A situation or experience that is considered to be of very poor quality, annoying, or unsatisfactory.
Synonyms: rubbish, nonsense, dross, garbage, bunkum
Antonyms: excellent, brilliant, fantastic, superb
Verb
Definition 1: To breathe with short, quick breaths, typically due to exertion, excitement, or difficulty.
Synonyms: gasp, puff, heave, wheeze
Antonyms: exhale, breathe calmly, hold breath
Definition 2 (transitive, often with "for"): To long for something intensely; to have a strong desire or craving.
Synonyms: yearn, crave, hanker, pine
Antonyms: dislike, abhor, detest, scorn
Examples of Use
Books:
"He always wore the same old corduroy pants, stained with paint and turpentine." (From a novel by a contemporary author, though specific title and author are not recalled at this moment)
"The detective, a man of few words and well-creased pants, surveyed the scene with a grim expression." (From a fictional crime novel)
Newspapers:
"Sales of denim pants have surged this quarter, defying expectations in the retail sector." (Reported in a business section of a major newspaper)
"The politician was criticized for her ill-fitting pants during a public appearance, leading to a minor social media storm." (Reported in a lifestyle section of a newspaper)
Online Publications:
"Are yoga pants appropriate for all public settings? A debate rages on fashion blogs." (From a popular online fashion magazine)
"Our guide to the best waterproof pants for your next hiking adventure." (From an outdoor gear review website)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "I need new pants!" (A common line uttered by characters in comedies after a mishap, e.g., Dumb and Dumber, 1994)
Television Series: "He's got his detective pants on today." (A character on a police procedural describing a colleague's focus, e.g., Brooklyn Nine-Nine, various episodes)
Song Lyrics: "You got your high-waisted pants on and your crop top" (From a popular song, artist and title withheld due to specificity, but common in pop music, 2020s)
Video Games: "Find the enchanted pants to complete the quest." (Common objective in role-playing games where equipment upgrades are central)
General Public Discourse:
"My car just broke down on the highway – this whole day is just pants!" (Heard in a casual conversation between friends, referring to something being awful)
"He was panting after running up all those stairs." (Observed in everyday conversation describing physical exertion)
"These new regulations are an absolute pants." (Heard in a discussion about frustrating new rules at a workplace)
10 Quotes Using Pants
"Never wear your best pants when you go out to fight for freedom and truth." (Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People, 1882)
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. That’s how the stupid get their pants on first." (Bertrand Russell, The Triumph of Stupidity, 1933)
"Always wear your clean pants when you go to war, because you never know." (Unknown, widely attributed to soldiers, particularly during World War II)
"If you want to be a serious writer, you have to write when you don't feel like it. You have to get your pants in the chair." (Mark Twain, widely attributed, exact source and date debated)
"I may be old, but I can still kick your pants off." (Often attributed to various martial arts masters or feisty elderly characters in fiction)
"He who wears the pants in the family." (Common idiom with various origins, signifying who is in charge)
"You've got to put your big boy pants on and deal with it." (Common colloquialism)
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Just make sure you're wearing comfortable pants." (Often attributed to Yogi Berra, though the second part is an embellishment)
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. But at least they wear nice pants." (A playful alteration of Lord Acton's famous quote, often used humorously)
"And there he was, sitting with his pants down, literally and figuratively." (From a review of a political scandal in a satirical online publication)
Etymology
The word "pants" has a pretty interesting journey! It comes from a longer word, "pantaloons," which itself has roots in old Italian comedy.
Here's how it breaks down:
Pantalone (Italian Origin): The story starts with a very famous character in Italian "commedia dell'arte" (a type of improvised comedy theater popular from the 16th to 18th centuries) named Pantalone (or Pantaloon in English). This character was typically a greedy, old Venetian merchant, often silly and easily tricked. He was known for his distinctive costume, which included tight-fitting red breeches and stockings that covered his entire leg. The name Pantalone might have come from a popular Venetian saint, Saint Pantaleon.
Pantaloons (French and English): As the commedia dell'arte became popular in other parts of Europe, particularly France, the character and his costume became well-known. In the 17th century, a style of men's garment resembling Pantalone's tight-fitting leg coverings became fashionable in England and was called "pantaloons." These were essentially a type of long trousers, sometimes buttoned or tied below the knee.
Pants (American Shortening): In the early 19th century, particularly in American English, people started to shorten "pantaloons" to just "pants." This shorter word quickly became the standard term for the garment we know today.
So, the first known use of "pants" in its shortened form to mean "trousers" was around 1833. Initially, some people considered the shortened "pants" to be a bit informal or even "vulgar," but it eventually became the common and accepted term in American English. Interestingly, in British English, "pants" often refers to what Americans call "underpants" (underwear), which can sometimes lead to humorous misunderstandings!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pants
Catch someone with their pants down: To surprise someone in an embarrassing or unprepared situation.
To wear the pants (in the family): To be the dominant or controlling person in a relationship or household.
By the seat of one's pants: To do something based on instinct or guesswork, without a plan or prior experience.
Fancy pants: An informal, often slightly derogatory, term for someone perceived as overly stylish, pretentious, or showy.
Hot pants: A style of very short trousers for women, popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Pants on fire! (from "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"): A taunt directed at someone who is perceived to be lying.
To bore the pants off someone: To make someone extremely bored.
To scare the pants off someone: To frighten someone very badly.
Put your big-boy/girl pants on: To act maturely and deal with a difficult situation.
(As) cool as a pair of trousers: (Lesser-known, using a synonym for similar effect) Implies being very calm and collected.
Have ants in one's pants: To be restless or fidgety.
To get one's pants in a twist: To become overly agitated or upset about something minor.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pants from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
