Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

wardrobe malfunction

American  
[wawr-drohb mal-fuhngk-shuhn] / ˈwɔr droʊb mælˌfʌŋk ʃən /

noun

Facetious.

  1. an instance of a piece of clothing slipping, ripping, etc., and causing embarrassment for the wearer.

    One of the models had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during the fashion show.
wardrobe malfunction British  

noun

  1. informal an embarrassing situation caused by the clothes a person is wearing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wardrobe malfunction

2004; coined by Justin Timberlake (born 1981), American singer and actor

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.

Wardrobe malfunction: The enduring metaphor of “the closet” continues to define the arc of queer development to this day.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2019

Definitions 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.