dowdy

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdau̇-dē 

dowdier; dowdiest

1

: not neat or becoming in appearance : shabby

a dowdy old hat

2

a

: lacking smartness or taste

a dowdy room

b

: old-fashioned

a dowdy institution

dowdily

ˈdau̇-də-lē 

adverb

dowdiness

ˈdau̇-dē-nəs 

noun

dowdyish

ˈdau̇-dē-ish 

adjective

dowdy

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural dowdies

archaic

: a dowdy woman

dowdy

3 of 3

noun (2)

: pandowdy

Synonyms

Adjective

• blowsy
• blowzy
• frowsy
• frowzy
• slobbish
• slobby
• sloppy
• sloven
• slovenly
• unkempt
• untidy

Examples of dowdy in a Sentence

Adjective

She played a dowdy old woman in the film.

the dowdy, beat-up furniture at the cheap motel

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

She’s come a long way from Marianne’s dowdy school uniform. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024

World-renowned for its cashmere, buttery leather, and tailored wool, Italian winter fashion leaves no room for dowdy sweatpants and sweatshirts. —Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2024

In contrast to the depictions of suffragists as dowdy old maids, the woman portrayed in this postcard is conventionally attractive and fashionably dressed. —Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024

At 570 Fifth, on the corner of West 46th Street, a new tower will soon rise to replace an array of dowdy prewar holdouts. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

diminutive of dowd dowdy, from Middle English doude

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1581, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1936, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dowdy

adjective

ˈdau̇d-ē

dowdier; dowdiest

1

: not neatly or well dressed or cared for

2

: not stylish

dowdily

ˈdau̇d-ᵊl-ē

adverb

dowdiness

ˈdau̇d-ē-nəs

noun