- present tense form of clothe (3rd person singular).
plural noun
-
-
articles of dress
-
( as modifier )
clothes brush
-
-
short for bedclothes
Usage
Spelling tips for clothes The word clothes is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it sounds like the verb close, but it is spelled differently. Also, the word clothes is different from the plural of cloth (cloths), but the two are easily confused for one another. How to spell clothes: You aren't finished putting on clothes until you've tied Each Shoe (-es). Remembering that you need Each Shoe, or -es, at the end to finish getting dressed can help you spell clothes correctly.
Etymology
Origin of clothes
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English clāthas, plural of clāth cloth
Compare meaning
How does clothes compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Clothes rhymes with "nose," and your nose is one of the few body parts you don't often cover with clothes. Pants, shirts, and coats are types of clothes. Clothes comes from the word cloth — it's true: Most clothes are made of cloth, or fabric. Whether you wear suits, uniforms, or jeans, clothes cover the body, just as bed clothes is a term for the sheets and blankets that cover a bed. You can show your style with the clothes you wear, or you might just throw on whatever clothes are clean (or sort of clean) and available.
Vocabulary lists containing clothes
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You have no idea how hard it is to keep clothes in good condition when the robot is made of metal,” Pinkerton said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
In 1905 Jacob Mohr, a German schizophrenic, believed that he was being targeted by an “oscillatory wave transmission device” and was found, on admission to hospital, to be wearing sheets of tinfoil under his clothes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
On the flight to the US, the FBI questioned Al-Marimi, performed a "head to toe medical examination" and provided him with clean clothes and blankets, his lawyers said.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Annual events such as the Oscars and the Emmys gave viewers a front-row seat to their favorite stars in designer clothes, while music award shows featured the hottest artists performing live.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
When friends bring her clothes, she gives those away too.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
