pant

1 of 5

verb

ˈpant How to pronounce pant (audio)
panted; panting; pants
Synonyms of pantnext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to breathe quickly, spasmodically, or in a labored manner
b
: to run panting
c
: to move with or make a throbbing or puffing sound
2
: to long eagerly : yearn
3
: throb, pulsate

transitive verb

: to utter with panting : gasp

pant

2 of 5

noun

1
a
: a panting breath
b
: the visible movement of the chest accompanying such a breath
2
: a throbbing or puffing sound

pant

3 of 5

variant of pants sense 1

pant

4 of 5

adjective

: of or relating to pants
a pant leg

pant-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or panto-
: all
pantisocracy

Synonyms

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of pant in a Sentence

Verb Dogs pant when they are hot. The hikers were panting by the time they reached the top of the hill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
While in its kennel, a dog may pant more, lick its lips more often, or freeze, resembling a statue. — Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025 Pay attention for signs of distress: panting, drooling, a high heart rate, dry nose, lethargy, or even vomiting, staggering or seizures. — Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
Another Parisian dress from the early 1920s, this one with swirling beadwork, has morphed into a pair of fluid, wide-leg pants—proof again of Voto’s unconstrained vision for seeing the antique garments as raw material. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025 There are software developers and computer programmers who write their code by the seat of their pants. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pant

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, modification of Anglo-French panteiser, from Vulgar Latin *phantasiare to have hallucinations, from Greek phantasioun, from phantasia appearance, imagination — more at fancy

Combining form

Greek, from pant-, pas — more at pan-

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pant was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing pant

Rhymes for pant

See All Rhymes for pant

Browse Nearby Words

pant
pant-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pant. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

pant

verb
ˈpant
1
a
: to breathe hard or quickly : gasp
b
: to make a puffing sound
c
: to move forward with panting
the car panted up the hill
2
: to wish for eagerly : yearn
3
: to utter with panting
ran up and panted out the message
pant noun

Medical Definition

pant

intransitive verb
ˈpant How to pronounce pant (audio)
: to breathe quickly, spasmodically, or in a labored manner

More from Merriam-Webster on pant

Nglish: Translation of pant for Spanish Speakers

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