pant

1 of 5

verb

panted; panting; pants

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

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

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
Officers responding to the scene found the dog panting heavily, with excessive drool coating the back seat. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 Luckily, there’s a treasure trove of products designed to help panting pups keep cool — from elevated dog beds and cooling mats that lower their body temperature to bowls that keep their water frosty. Clint Davis, People.com, 4 July 2025
Noun
Wear long pants tucked into boot tops and spray insect repellent containing DEET (a chemical compound common in commercial insect repellents) on socks and pant cuffs to reduce exposure to fleas. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025 Elvis wore navy pants, white shoes and a striped shirt, looking over his shoulder as their picture was taken. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Wearing blazers with capris is one way to bring pant trend into fall and gives a cool, elevated edge to a business casual look. Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 21 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pant. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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
: to breathe quickly, spasmodically, or in a labored manner

More from Merriam-Webster on pant

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