bathrobe

American  

[bath-rohb, bahth-] / ˈbæθˌroʊb, ˈbɑθ- /

noun

1. a long, loose, coat-like garment, often tied with a belt of the same material, worn before and after a bath, over sleepwear, or as leisure wear at home.

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bathrobe British  

/ ˈbɑːθˌrəʊb /

noun

1. a loose-fitting garment of towelling, for wear before or after a bath or swimming

2. a dressing gown

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Etymology

Origin of bathrobe

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; bath ¹ + robe

Explanation

A bathrobe is a loose-fitting robe you put on after a bath or shower. They’re like towels with sleeves and a belt. Fuzzy slippers and curlers are optional. A bathrobe shuttles you between being dressed and undressed. You might wear a bathrobe before or after taking a bath, in a locker room after swimming, or in a fancy spa. Bathrobes generally tie loosely around the waist, and because they're made of toweling, you can put them on when your body is wet. A more lightweight robe you wear over your pajamas can also be called a bathrobe, though it's more commonly called a "housecoat" or a "dressing gown."

Example Sentences

He looked like a man in his bathrobe who’d come outside to see all the neighborhood confusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

On Poshmark I found a never-worn Eddie Bauer full-length down bathrobe, the exact same light pink color and correct size.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

That’s why DiCaprio spends much of the film in a red bathrobe, making him both incredibly hard to miss and also decidedly ordinary-looking.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Osbourne entered the room near noon in a bathrobe, having "just woken up", wearing loads of jewellery and accessories and "a lot of gold", Aswad said, though adding that Osbourne was "perfectly nice, perfectly friendly".

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Dazed with sleep, I put on my bathrobe and stumbled downstairs.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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