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

Fischer steps out of the trailer in a sundress, holding a baby monitor showing a sleeping Natasha.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 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

Dressed in a billowy sundress on a Friday afternoon in February, she walked around to the front of my car and eyed up the scuff marks near one headlight.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2022

Then, when I’m positive Dad is looking away, I sneak the postcard underneath my yellow-and-orange chiffon sundress.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller