blowsy

or blowz·y

[ blou-zee ]

/ ˈblaʊ zi /

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See synonyms for blowsy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, blows·i·er, blows·i·est

having a coarse, ruddy complexion.

disheveled in appearance; unkempt.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Also blowsed, blowzed

[blouzd] /ˈblaʊzd/ .

Origin of blowsy

First recorded in 1760–70; obsolete blowze “wench” (of uncertain origin) + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM blowsy

blows·i·ly, adverb

Words nearby blowsy

blowout, blow over, blowpipe, blow sky-high, blow someone to, blowsy, blow the lid off, blow the whistle on, blow through, blowtorch, blowtube

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blowsy in a sentence

After racking his imagination, it occurred to him to bribe the blowsy waiting-maid with gold.
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket|Honore de Balzac
The loveliness of the woods in March is not, assuredly, of this blowsy rustic type.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. XXII (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
Her cheeks were like the heart of a blush rose; she never turned very red when she ran or skipped, and never looked blowsy.
A Little Girl in Old Salem|Amanda Minnie Douglas
As if I would have given her any money, the impudent, blowsy thing!
In Wild Rose Time|Amanda M. Douglas

Before him stood a blowsy but not altogether unprepossessing woman of middle years.
The Girl and The Bill|Bannister Merwin

British Dictionary definitions for blowsy

blowsy

blowzy

/ (ˈblaʊzɪ) /

adjective blowsier, blowsiest, blowzier or blowziest

(esp of a woman) untidy in appearance; slovenly or sluttish

(of a woman) ruddy in complexion; red-faced

Derived forms of blowsy

blowsily or blowzily, adverbblowsiness or blowziness, noun

Word Origin for blowsy

C18: from dialect blowze beggar girl, of unknown origin

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

blowsy

or blowz·y

Origin of blowsy

OTHER WORDS FROM blowsy

Words nearby blowsy

Words related to blowsy

How to use blowsy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blowsy

blowzy

Derived forms of blowsy

Word Origin for blowsy