Meaning & use
pajama
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Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
One leg of the loose trousers people wear in bed; usually used in the plural to mean the whole garment.
Grammar: The singular names one leg; the plural 'pajamas' names the pair you wear.
Patterns
- a pair of pajamas
- in his pajamas
- wear pajamas
He came to the door in his pajamas.
She packed a clean pair of pajamas for the trip.
The children were still in their pajamas at noon.
nounpluralAmerican
Loose trousers with a matching top, worn for sleeping or as casual clothes.
Grammar: Always plural when it means the set of clothes; use a plural verb.
Patterns
- pajamas and a robe
- sleep in pajamas
- pajama bottoms
These pajamas are too warm for summer.
He bought striped pajamas for his son.
My pajamas are in the wash, so I wore a T-shirt.
Word forms
| plural | pajamas |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of pajamas
- She folded a pair of pajamas into the suitcase.
- pajama bottoms
- He wore pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt.
- in your pajamas
- Don't answer the video call in your pajamas.
- pajama party
- The girls had a pajama party on Saturday night.
- sleep in pajamas
- I can't sleep in pajamas when it's hot.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nightclothes
- A general word for anything worn in bed, so it can include nightgowns, not just the two-piece set.
- nightwear
- More formal and used in shops and catalogs; it covers pajamas and other sleeping clothes.
- loungewear
- Comfortable clothes for relaxing at home, which may look like pajamas but are not meant for bed.
Word family
- pajamaed adjective
- Wearing pajamas; used mainly in literary descriptions.
Commonly confused: pajama or pyjamas?
pajama vs pyjamas
The British spelling and pronunciation of the same word; American English uses 'pajamas' with an a.
Practice
Which sentence uses the word correctly in American English?
Choose one answer.
'Pajamas' is a plural noun, so we count it with 'a pair of.' 'A pajama' sounds like one leg, and 'a pajamas' wrongly puts a singular article before a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pajama”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.