wet one's pants
To wet oneself, to urinate in one's clothes while wearing them.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The toddler was so scared that he wet his pants.”
“He drinks too much water and often wets his pants during his afternoon nap.”
“The horror movie was so terrifying that I felt like I might wet my pants.”
“The long bus ride had no bathroom breaks, and the passenger feared they would wet their pants before reaching the station.”
“The comedian told a joke so hilarious that the audience members were laughing until they nearly wet their pants.”
The literal sense of urinating in one's clothing provides the foundation for the figurative extensions. These later applications concern reactions of extreme laughter or intense fear, both of which are states where physical composure is at a significant disadvantage.
The figurative use relies on a spectrum of literalism. While usually employed to describe a high degree of mirth or terror, the phrase acknowledges that should the laughter or the fright prove sufficiently rigorous, the wetting of the trousers may well progress from a rhetorical flourish to a physical reality.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026