sundress

American  

[suhn-dres] / ˈsʌnˌdrɛs /

noun

1. a dress with a bodice styled to expose the arms, shoulders, and back, for wear during hot weather.

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sundress British  

/ ˈsʌnˌdrɛs /

noun

1. a dress for hot weather that exposes the shoulders, arms, and back, esp one with straps over the shoulders

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Etymology

Origin of sundress

First recorded in 1940–45; sun + dress

Example Sentences

Every spring, I get the urge to buy something new: a sundress, a pretty blouse or something hopeful after a long, drab winter.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

We engage in this back-and-forth every year, whenever the season changes, me twirling around in a sundress, her grimacing under a comically large-brimmed hat.

From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2024

“I bought three new pairs of jeans. I wore a sundress for the first time in a decade,” she says.

From Scientific American • Oct. 16, 2023

The bride wore a sundress and a veil she picked out moments earlier and the groom a black button-down with a fresh haircut from his family’s salon down the street.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2023

Mint-green sundress, dark green cardigan, gray tights, and my gold combat boots.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli