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dowdy

1
[ dou-dee ]
/ ˈdaʊ di /
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See synonyms for: dowdy / dowdiness on Thesaurus.com

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.
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Origin of dowdy

1
1300–50; Middle English doude unattractive woman (of uncertain origin) + -y1 or -y2

OTHER WORDS FROM dowdy

dow·di·ly, adverbdow·di·ness, noundow·dy·ish, adjectivedow·dy·ism, noun

Other definitions for dowdy (2 of 2)

dowdy2
[ dou-dee ]
/ ˈdaʊ di /

noun, plural dow·dies.
a shortened form of pandowdy.

Origin of dowdy

2
First 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, adjective

Word 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
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