underdress

[uhn-der-dres, uhn-der-dres]

verb (used without object)

underdressed, underdrest, underdressing. 

1. to clothe oneself less completely or formally than is usual or fitting for the circumstances.

noun

1. garments worn beneath others; underclothes.

2. a slip, petticoat, or other underskirt, especially one designed to be seen when worn, as beneath a redingote.

Word History and Origins

Origin of underdress¹

First recorded in 1775–85; under- + dress

Example Sentences

When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.

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A Times photographer and I, slightly underdressed, scuttled past the valet and into the backyard.

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As I waited for my cappuccino in a line of VIP shoppers and newsletter subscribers sporting an abundance of Chanel handbags, I felt underdressed in jeans, sans blowout.

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Then one evening, in front of Sarah and Mark and a sad bowl of underdressed salad, she tells him that she heard what he said.

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So perhaps I jumped to the conclusion that Roy and Keeley were back together after the former showed up conspicuously underdressed in the latter’s apartment following his “stuck” revelation and subsequent letter.

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