caught with one's pants down

adjective

Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

Similar
flat-footed
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Meanings

adjectivecaught with one's pants down (not comparable)
  1. idiomaticnot comparableCaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

    Synonyms: flat-footed

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

Similar
flat-footed

Origin

Presumably engaged in some private or intimate activity. Pants may refer to either trousers or underpants.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish housut kintuissa
  • housut kintuissacaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Greek ξεβράκωτος στ’ αγγούρια
  • ξεβράκωτος στ’ αγγούρια (xevrákotos st’ angoúria)caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Indonesian tertangkap basah
  • tertangkap basahcaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Polish złapany na gorącym uczynku
  • złapany na gorącym uczynkucaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Russian заста́ть враспло́х
  • заста́ть враспло́х (zastátʹ vrasplóx)caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Spanish en paños menores, pillado con el culo al aire
  • en paños menorescaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
  • pillado con el culo al airecaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Swedish tagen på sängen, med byxorna nere
  • tagen på sängencaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
  • med byxorna nerecaught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation
Cite this entry
APA

caught with one's pants down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caught%20with%20one's%20pants%20down

MLA

“caught with one's pants down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caught%20with%20one's%20pants%20down. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caught with one's pants down,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caught%20with%20one's%20pants%20down.

Source: caught with one's pants down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.