Jogging bottoms means: Jogging bottoms is the standard British English term for what Americans call sweatpants - those loose, elasticated-waist trousers designed for exercise but mostly worn for comfort on the sofa. In. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
jogging bottoms
Jogging bottoms is the standard British English term for what Americans call sweatpants — those loose, elasticated-waist trousers designed for exercise but mostly worn for comfort on the sofa.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK
Jogging bottoms is the standard British English term for what Americans call sweatpants — those loose, elasticated-waist trousers designed for exercise but mostly worn for comfort on the sofa. In the UK they're firmly everyday casualwear; the phrase conjures Saturday mornings, lazy evenings, and the eternal debate about whether they're acceptable to wear in public.
I got home, changed into jogging bottoms, and had zero intention of going anywhere.
Origin: British compound noun: jogging (the activity) + bottoms (trousers). Parallel to the American term sweatpants. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
Jogging bottoms means: Jogging bottoms is the standard British English term for what Americans call sweatpants - those loose, elasticated-waist trousers designed for exercise but mostly worn for comfort on the sofa. In. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
jogging bottoms means: Jogging bottoms is the standard British English term for what Americans call sweatpants - those loose, elasticated-waist trousers designed for exercise but mostly worn for. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Was this helpful?
Comments
UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British) tracksuit bottoms, (US) sweatpants.
Cluster: food_drink
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.
Used in
UK
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "jogging bottoms".
🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "jogging bottoms" (J)
Browse all slang words starting with J.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- track pants83%
The standard term in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US for sweatpants or jogging bottoms — loose, comfortable trousers with an elasticated waist, typically made from soft fabric. The word is the natural equivalent of British 'tracksuit bottoms' and is used entirely without stigma in athletic and casual contexts.
- jogging pants82%
The standard term in Canada and the Philippines for sweatpants or track pants — loose-fitting athletic trousers with an elasticated waist. The term is descriptive and straightforward, rooted in the clothing's original association with jogging. It is used without stigma in everyday casual and athletic contexts.
- jogging pants68%
(Canada, Philippines) track pants; sweatpants.
- short pants62%
Short pants is the dated North American term for what most of the English-speaking world simply calls shorts or short trousers. The phrase carries a slightly old-fashioned or nostalgic flavour, evoking images of mid-20th century children's clothing and school uniforms. Today it mostly appears in period contexts, older speakers' vocabulary, or ironic usage — as in calling an adult out for wearing them as if they're still a kid. In contrast, British English has always preferred the term 'short trousers'.