leggings

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   tight stretchy pants that fit closely to the legs and are worn by women and girls.

   Grammar: Used with a plural verb: 'These leggings are comfortable.' To talk about one item, say 'a pair of leggings'.

   Patterns

   • a pair of leggings
   • wear leggings
   • leggings and a top

   She wore black leggings and a long sweater to the party.

   These leggings are so comfortable that I wear them to the gym.

   I need to buy a new pair of leggings for yoga class.

2. 2nounpluralold-fashioned

   a warm outer garment for the lower legs, especially in historical or horse-riding contexts.

   Grammar: Also plural; often used in the phrase 'a pair of leggings'.

   Patterns

   • leather leggings
   • riding leggings

   The rider put on leather leggings before mounting the horse.

   In the past, men wore leggings to protect their legs from the cold.

Word forms

Common combinations

black leggings

She paired black leggings with a white shirt.

stretchy leggings

These stretchy leggings move with you during exercise.

a pair of leggings

He bought a pair of leggings for his daughter.

wear leggings

Many people wear leggings as casual wear.

Synonyms and how they differ

tights

In British English, 'tights' are thinner and often worn under skirts or dresses, while leggings are thicker and worn as pants.

jeggings

Jeggings are leggings designed to look like jeans, with fake pockets and stitching, so they are a specific type of leggings.

Word family

legging noun

The singular form, rarely used alone; often found in compounds like 'legging-style'.

Commonly confused: leggings or leggins?

Practice

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