disrobe

American  

[dis-rohb] / dɪsˈroʊb /

verb (used with or without object)

disrobed, disrobing

1. to undress.

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disrobe British  

/ dɪsˈrəʊb /

verb

1. to remove the clothing of (a person) or (of a person) to undress

2. (tr) to divest of authority, etc

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Other Word Forms

• disrobement
  noun
• disrober
  noun

Etymology

Origin of disrobe

1575–85; dis- ¹ + robe; compare Middle French desrober

Explanation

When you disrobe, you take your clothes off. Before you go swimming, you should probably disrobe and put on a bathing suit. Everyone disrobes, before we take a shower, change our clothes, or go skinny dipping. To disrobe is simply to get undressed. You might disrobe in a dressing room to try on a tuxedo or disrobe before your karate class so you can put on your white karate gi. The word uses the prefix dis-, "do the opposite of," before robe, with its old fashioned verb sense of "clothe."

Example Sentences

When we were eventually led into Osmosis’ tidy changing rooms to disrobe, I smelled what she meant before I saw it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

For “Leo Grande,” the choice to disrobe was hers, and though she made it with trepidation, Thompson said she believes “the film would not be the same without it.”

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2022

If you find the skins difficult to remove, drop the fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, plunge in an ice bath and then they should be more easy to disrobe.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2021

Pell would only have gone to the sacristy to disrobe, and that was always done with the help of at least one other cleric.

From Washington Times • Aug. 19, 2019

"All right, Lizzie," answered Martha, going to the room and beginning to disrobe.

From A Star for a Night A Story of Stage Life by Janis, Elsie

Related Words

• undress