pant

1 of 5

verb

ˈpant 

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

: 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

• blow
• gasp
• heave
• hyperventilate
• puff
• wheeze

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

Verb

Kim Doggett walked outside last Sunday to find her chocolate cake on the floor of her back porch, brown paw prints on her new beige couch and a panting opossum lying on top of it. —Dawn Sawyer, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025

Indeed, by the time the procedure was finished, the rabbit was sitting up in its cage, looking around, and panting considerably less. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Noun

Amazon is brimming with tons of wrinkle-resistant blouses, pants, dresses, and more. —Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025

To keep those pants, tops, and bras neatly organized and at the ready, check out this clever multi-pronged hanger. —Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Feb. 2025

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

Phrases Containing pant

• pant for breath
• yoga pant

Rhymes for pant

• ant
• aunt
• cant
• chant
• gant
• lant
• plant
• quant
• rant
• sant
• scant
• slant

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 

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