# pants

/ˈpænts/ (US) · /pˈɑːnts/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pants
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 3. something of poor quality

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal · Slang

something that is very bad, boring, or useless.

For teachers: something of inferior quality or worthless nature. Used as a collective noun for rubbish.

- The weather on our holiday was absolute pants; it rained every single day.
- The plot of the sequel was total pants compared to the original, relying on cheap jump scares rather than actual suspense.

### 4. bad or rubbish

adjective · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal · Slang

used to describe something that is not good at all.

For teachers: of poor quality; rubbish. Used predicatively to describe a situation or object.

- I'm sorry you failed your driving test; that's really pants.
- The service at that new bistro is pretty pants, so I wouldn't recommend it for a business lunch.

### 5. to pull down someone's trousers

verb · CEFR C2 · American English · Informal · Slang

to pull someone's trousers down quickly as a joke or to embarrass them.

For teachers: to forcibly pull down someone's trousers, typically as a prank.

- The bully tried to pants him in front of the whole gym class.
- The hazing ritual involved threatening to pants the freshmen, a practice the university has since strictly banned.

## Examples

- He wears blue pants to work every day.
- She decided to wear dark pants and a white shirt for her job interview to look professional.
- The fashion designer experimented with various fabrics to ensure the pants maintained their sharp crease even after a long day of travel.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.