Meanings
present singular third person wears the trousers · participle present wearing the trousers · past wore the trousers · participle past worn the trousers
- UKidiomaticTypically of a woman, to be the dominant partner in a relationship.
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers / I hope he never lets me down again
1987, Martin L. Gore, “Never Let Me Down Again”, in Music for the Masses, performed by Depeche Mode1 more example
His mother wore the trousers, and father, a gentle man who worked in local government, was not ambitious enough for her.
1988, John Rowan, Windy Dryden, Innovative Therapy in Britain, page 246Synonyms: rule the roost, wear the breeches, wear the pants
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTypically of a woman, to be the dominant partner in a relationship.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan portar els pantalons, tenir la paella pel mànec
- portar els pantalonsto be the dominant partner
- tenir la paella pel mànecto be the dominant partner
Chinese Mandarin 掌权, 当家
- 掌权 (zhǎngquán)to be the dominant partner
- 当家 (dāngjiā)to be the dominant partner
Czech rozhodovat, nosit kalhoty
- rozhodovatto be the dominant partner
- nosit kalhotyto be the dominant partner
Danish have bukserne på
- have bukserne påto be the dominant partner
Dutch de broek aanhebben
- de broek aanhebbento be the dominant partner
Finnish määrätä, näyttää kaapin paikka
- määrätäto be the dominant partner
- näyttää kaapin paikkato be the dominant partner
French porter la culotte, porter le pantalon
- porter la culotteto be the dominant partner
- porter le pantalonto be the dominant partner
German die Hosen anhaben
- die Hosen anhabento be the dominant partner
Hungarian viseli a nadrágot
- viseli a nadrágotto be the dominant partner
Norwegian Bokmål ha buksene på
- ha buksene påto be the dominant partner
Portuguese mandar na casa
- mandar na casato be the dominant partner
Romanian purta pantalonii, fi cocoș în casă
- purta pantaloniito be the dominant partner
- fi cocoș în casăto be the dominant partner
- fi capul familieito be the dominant partner
Russian верхово́дить в до́ме, быть в до́ме хозя́ином
- верхово́дить в до́ме (verxovóditʹ v dóme)to be the dominant partner
- быть в до́ме хозя́ином (bytʹ v dóme xozjáinom)to be the dominant partner
Spanish llevar los pantalones
- llevar los pantalonesto be the dominant partner
Cite this entry
wear the trousers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20the%20trousers
“wear the trousers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20the%20trousers. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wear the trousers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20the%20trousers.
Source: wear the trousers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.