underwear

noun

un·​der·​wear ˈən-dər-ˌwer 

: clothing or an article of clothing worn next to the skin and under other clothing

Synonyms of underwear

• panties
• pants
• undergarments
• undies
• underclothes
• underclothing
• pajamas
• unmentionables
• lingerie

Examples of underwear in a Sentence

he had been sleeping in his underwear so he had to put a robe on before answering the door

Recent Examples on the Web

Women's Boxer Briefs & Bralettes Say goodbye to uncomfortable underwear that digs. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Was New York magazine’s Men’s Style Issue spread featuring male celebrities like Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott, Isaac Cole Powell, and others hanging out in their underwear in a sauna an exercise in queerbaiting? — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

The audience cheered and a couple of crowd members tossed underwear onto the stage. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Not far away is Lucas’s now iconic photograph Chicken Knickers (1997), showing a raw whole chicken affixed to the front of a woman’s underwear. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing underwear

• change of underwear
• in one's underwear
• long/thermal underwear
• long underwear

Rhymes for underwear

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

Kids Definition

underwear

noun

un·​der·​wear ˈən-dər-ˌwa(ə)r 

-ˌwe(ə)r

: clothing or an article of clothing worn next to the skin and under other clothing