to blow the pants off
- idiom
- Informal
:
impresionar mucho
- The new phone’s camera blew the pants off anything else on the market.
Examples
-
His presentation blew the pants off all our expectations.
-
This new movie blows the pants off the last one.
-
Her performance blew the pants off the judges and won her first prize.
-
That performance really blew the pants off everyone!
-
Her performance blew the pants off the judges and won her first prize.
-
The new phone’s camera blew the pants off anything else on the market.
-
His presentation blew the pants off all our expectations.
Synonyms
457
2.8
To make someone admire you or accept an idea
63
4.1
To amaze people with great skill, beauty, or clever ideas
50
6.2
To surprise someone a lot and make them feel excited
33
4.1
Make someone feel very surprised and unable to speak
22
3.8
Be better than someone at something
18
4.7
To impress someone strongly so they feel admiration
14
3.7
To get the most attention or praise at an event
12
6.0
To beat someone or something completely by a lot
3
7.7
Win easily by a lot against another person or team
3
4.9
To make someone feel very surprised and impressed
1
7.2
To do much better than people expect
To impress people more than others
To beat someone completely or praise them too much
Antonyms
How Impressive
- Informal
294
1.0
- Informal
37
3.6
457
2.8
216
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'blow' (forceful action), 'pants' (clothing) and 'off' (away/remove) hint at a forceful effect, but the idiomatic sense 'to impress greatly or defeat overwhelmingly' is a metaphorical extension rather than a straightforward composition. Learners who know the words might guess it involves a strong impact or surprise, but they would not reliably derive the precise sense of impressing or surpassing without prior exposure, and the expression is informal and partly based on the separate idiom 'blow someone away'.
Etymology
Blow the pants off may come from the image of a sudden strong wind that literally blows someone's pants off and leaves them shocked and surprised. So the phrase now means 'to greatly impress' or 'to do much better than' someone or something.