beat the pants off

Idioms

Also, beat hollow. Win decisively over someone, outdo. For example, When it comes to the Patriots' Day parade, Lexington beats the pants off the neighboring towns, or This beer beats the other brands hollow. Both phrases use beat in the sense of “surpass.” Pants off has served as an intensifier since about 1930; the variant dates from about 1775.

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.

“Anyway,” I said, because I decided to let that last bit lie, “it’s all about practice. We’re going to have to practice for this game, and then we’re going to play, and I’m going to beat the pants off you forever unless you keep practicing. If you practice, you might beat me sometimes. Do you want to play or not?”

From Literature

And I did beat the pants off him, too.

From Literature

This sure beat the pants off marketing for day-old meats.

From Literature

But if you have the time, a kitchen and a little extra cash, almost any home-cooked meal is going to beat the pants off a fast-food dinner.

From Washington Post

“Gosh, no wonder you beat the pants off the rest of us,” said Dee, laughing.

From Literature

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