pant
pant — verb
1. to take fast, noisy breaths through an open mouth — typically after hard running
to take fast, noisy breaths through an open mouth — typically after hard running, climbing, or heavy work, or when feeling very hot.
Marcus was panting heavily after sprinting up six flights of stairs.
pant + adverb of manner (heavily, hard, loudly)
The old dog lay in the shade, panting with its pink tongue out.
pant + with + body-part detail
"I can't keep going," Lina panted, leaning on a tree by the trail.
The firefighters were panting hard inside their heavy gear.
Priya finished the race red-faced and panting for breath.
- breathe steadily
describes calm, even breathing
文法句型
pant + (out) + speech
pant + adverb of manner
用法筆記
Frequently appears with adverbs that show intensity (heavily, hard, loudly) or with the phrase 'panting for breath'. When used as a reporting verb, it pictures the speaker struggling to get words out between breaths.
常見錯誤
pant — noun
1. a single short, hard breath that someone takes when they are out of breath or st
a single short, hard breath that someone takes when they are out of breath or struggling to get enough air.
Sarah finished the climb with a long pant and sat on a flat rock.
a + adjective + pant (countable noun)
Between pants, the runner managed to thank the medic on the track.
between + pants (plural countable)
Each pant pulled cold air deep into the climber's lungs.
The boxer answered the reporter in short, painful pants.
文法句型
a/the + pant
pant + of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always countable, often plural. Distinguish from sense 2 (the chest movement that goes with the breath) and sense 3 (a mechanical puffing sound). Frequently modified by adjectives like 'short', 'shallow', 'painful', or 'ragged'.
常見錯誤
2. the rise and fall of someone's chest that you can see while they are breathing h
the rise and fall of someone's chest that you can see while they are breathing hard.
The doctor watched the rapid pant of the patient's chest with concern.
the pant of + body-part
You could see the steady pant of the horse's flanks after the race.
visible + pant of + flanks/chest/sides
A faint pant of the climber's chest showed how tired he really was.
The nurse counted breaths by watching the slow pant of her grandmother's ribs.
- heave
stronger, slower up-and-down movement, often from sobbing or exhaustion
- rise and fall
neutral, descriptive phrase for any breathing motion
文法句型
the + pant + of + body-part
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the audible breath itself, while this sense is the visible body movement that goes with it. Subject is usually a body part (chest, flanks, ribs, shoulders) introduced by 'of'. Mostly literary or medical.
常見錯誤
3. a short, throbbing puff of sound or air made by an engine, pipe, or other machin
a short, throbbing puff of sound or air made by an engine, pipe, or other machine, similar to the noise of someone breathing hard.
The old steam train left the station with a loud pant of white smoke.
pant of + steam/smoke (machine sound)
Each pant from the boiler shook the workshop floor a little.
pant + from + machine source
The mechanic listened to the slow, regular pant of the engine.
A sharp pant of steam shot from the pipe near Marcus's foot.
文法句型
pant + of + steam/smoke
pant + from + machine
用法筆記
Subject is always a machine or mechanical part (engine, boiler, pipe, train). Object of 'of' is typically steam, smoke, or air. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about a person or animal's breath, and sense 2, which is about visible chest movement.