panties

American

[pan-teez] / ˈpæn tiz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

underpants or undershorts for women and children.

panties British

/ ˈpæntɪz /

plural noun

a pair of women's or children's underpants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of panties

1835–45, plural of panty

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“You pull up your big-girl panties and you do what you got to do,” Applegate says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Stand-up Leanne embraces being a 59-year-old grandmother, the physical challenges inherent to being menopausal and comfortable panties.

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2025

He also poked fun at Harry Styles' fashion sense, joking: "Women throw their panties at this man, then he puts them on and looks better in them."

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2023

"I said before the game you better put on your big girl panties and rebound," LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.

From Fox News • Jan. 7, 2022

A big heap lies on the floor: school clothes and dresses and torn blouses all thrown together with panties and shoes.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023