"indescribables" means: A wonderfully prim 19th-century humorous euphemism for trousers. The Victorians, with their flair for comic propriety, found the word 'trous.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
indescribables
A wonderfully prim 19th-century humorous euphemism for trousers.
Definitions
#1·Apr 28, 2026
A wonderfully prim 19th-century humorous euphemism for trousers. The Victorians, with their flair for comic propriety, found the word 'trousers' somehow too blunt and came up with a parade of absurd alternatives — 'inexpressibles,' 'unmentionables,' 'ineffables,' and 'indescribables' among them. The joke, of course, was that describing them in polite company was considered slightly improper.
He showed up to the ball in the most splendid indescribables — nobody said a word about the colour.
Origin: Part of a 19th-century English tradition of humorous euphemisms for trousers, stemming from Victorian squeamishness about naming clothing associated with the lower body. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
"indescribables" means: A wonderfully prim 19th-century humorous euphemism for trousers. The Victorians, with their flair for comic propriety, found the word 'trous.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"indescribables" means: A wonderfully prim 19th-century humorous euphemism for trousers. The Victorians, with their flair for comic propriety, found the word 'trous.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Was this helpful?
Comments
#2·Apr 27, 2026
(dated, slang, humorous) trousers.
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "indescribables".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "indescribables" (I)
indabaindecent assaultindefindentIndependence Dayindependent counselIndianIndian agentIndiana TerritoryIndian breadIndian fileIndian ginger
Browse all slang words starting with I.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- pantless60%
The straightforward informal adjective meaning without trousers or underpants. Used in humorous or literal contexts. Not particularly slangy but informal in register; typically appears in comedic narratives, embarrassing situations, or direct descriptions.
- sit-upons58%
(UK, slang, obsolete) Trousers.
- underkecks55%
A delightfully blunt Northern English and Scottish term for underpants. 'Kecks' (or 'keks') is already regional slang for trousers, so 'underkecks' naturally refers to what's worn underneath — your underwear, your smalls, your unmentionables. The word has a no-nonsense Northern quality to it, the kind of thing you'd hear a parent shouting up the stairs. It's functional, slightly funny, and instantly recognisable to anyone from the North of England.
- knickered55%
A British adjective meaning wearing knickers (underwear) — in the same vein as 'pantied' in American English. In British English, knickers refers to women's underwear, so knickered simply means having knickers on. There's also an older obsolete sense of wearing knickerbockers (the baggy Victorian-era trousers). In modern use the term is mostly encountered in a playful or somewhat saucy context, though it's relatively mild on the scale of British sauciness. Not an offensive term, just mildly intimate.