This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
dowdy
1[ dou-dee ]
/ ˈdaʊ di /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective, dow·di·er, dow·di·est.
not stylish; drab; old-fashioned: Why do you always wear those dowdy old dresses?
not neat or tidy; shabby.
noun, plural dow·dies.
a dowdy woman.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
OTHER WORDS FROM dowdy
dow·di·ly, adverbdow·di·ness, noundow·dy·ish, adjectivedow·dy·ism, nounWords nearby dowdy
dowable, dowager, dowager's hump, Dowden, Dowding, dowdy, dowel, doweling, Dowell, dower, dower chest
Other definitions for dowdy (2 of 2)
Origin of dowdy
2First recorded in 1935–40; short form
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dowdy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for dowdy
dowdy
/ (ˈdaʊdɪ) /
adjective -dier or -diest
(esp of a woman's dress) drab, unflattering, and old-fashioned
noun plural -dies
a dowdy woman
Derived forms of dowdy
dowdily, adverbdowdiness, noundowdyish, adjectiveWord Origin for dowdy
C14: dowd slut, 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