undress
Americanverb (used with object)
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undresses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undressed,
past participle, past
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undrest,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
undressing
present participle
-
to take the clothes off (a person); disrobe.
-
to remove the dressing from (a wound, sore, etc.).
-
to strip or divest of or as if of a covering; expose.
to undress a pretense.
verb (used without object)
-
undresses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undressed,
past participle, past
-
undrest,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
undressing
present participle
noun
-
dress of a style designed to be worn on other than highly formal or ceremonial occasions; informal dress as opposed to full dress.
-
dress of a style not designed to be worn in public; dishabille; negligee.
She couldn't receive guests in such a state of undress.
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the condition of being unclothed; nakedness.
adjective
-
of or relating to clothing of a style less formal than full dress.
undress uniform.
-
characterized by informality of dress, manners, or the like.
an undress dinner party.
verb
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to take off clothes from (oneself or another)
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(tr) to strip of ornamentation
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(tr) to remove the dressing from (a wound)
noun
-
partial or complete nakedness
-
informal or normal working clothes or uniform
adjective
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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undresssimple
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undressessimple
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have undressedperfect
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have undrestperfect
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has undressedperfect
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has undrestperfect
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am undressingprogressive
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are undressingprogressive
-
is undressingprogressive
-
have been undressingperfect progressive
-
has been undressingperfect progressive
Past
-
undressedsimple
-
undrestsimple
-
had undressedperfect
-
had undrestperfect
-
was undressingprogressive
-
were undressingprogressive
-
had been undressingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undress
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I think we achieved it, but along the way, we had to undress the character’s successes and failures, many of which had consequences in his life,” Gómez Fernandez says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
They further claim that, once in the home, the men were told to undress in the kitchen, and then to warm their hands with hot water or on a radiator.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2024
The military said it makes detainees undress to search for explosives, bringing detainees into Israel before releasing them back into Gaza if they’re deemed innocent.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
When she’d get home from a long day, she’d undress outside and sprint to the shower, worried about exposing her wife and two children to the coronavirus.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 15, 2021
That night while Ash was helping Clara undress for bed, she asked what had put her in such a good mood, and Clara said, “Ana believes she has found her husband.”
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
“Part of what the motion does is it undresses what you’re in, so it forces your hand a little bit,” McDermott said.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
The letter’s flipped position within the word “bar” undresses the long-accepted expectation when a person wants to eat, drink and watch a game in a restaurant.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2022
Behind the curtain of biography, betrayal and striving, “Fosse/Verdon” undresses into a story about haunted people, a pair of artists inexorably pushed by past abuses and the fear of failure they produced.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2019
Yet as he realizes his fate, he gradually undresses, revealing his pajamas.
From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2015
She starts taking out books and her computer from her bag before she even undresses.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
A nurse asks me to get undressed from the waist up and put on a gown with the opening in front.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Of course, the suggestion was unserious but it usefully if frontally undressed a reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
"We will carefully assess these changes to make sure they effectively protect citizens in the EU," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement, which followed sharp criticism over the nonconsensual undressed images.
From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026
Dr Upton has denied getting undressed during the exchange.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2025
I climbed down from the bed, undressed, and turned off the light.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
She lay comfortably enough, but had a suspicion that the place was not over clean, and was glad to find herself not undrest.
From Donal Grant, by George MacDonald by George MacDonald
Languid, he lit, and left his Brigliador To a discreet attendant; one undrest His limbs, one doffed the golden spurs he wore, And one bore off, to clean, his iron vest.
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 2 by Hamilton Wright Mabie
She was soon undrest; for she had no jewels to deposit in their caskets, nor fine laces to fold with the nicest exactness.
From Joseph Andrews, Volume 2 by Henry Fielding
Keep your undrest, familiar style for strangers, but respect your friend.
From The Golden Link of Friendship by Various
The Duke getting notice, came running undrest to lament his fate, saying, Alas, Sir! what is the matter?
From Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies) A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies by John Howie
The first step requires Ilana to change into a robe, undressing on top of pads placed on the floor so each item of clothing can be packaged into separate bags and collected as evidence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
A student movement organisation first published the video of the arrest, reporting that Ms Daryaei had an altercation with security agents over not wearing a headscarf, leading to her undressing during the scuffle.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024
The second goal came off a Vince Dunn turnover in his own end, with Marchessault later finding himself alone in front of Grubauer and undressing the goalie with some nifty deke moves.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2021
Young had returned home from work and was undressing for bed when police barged in, the AP adds.
From Fox News ● Aug. 13, 2021
People—grown-ups—hovered over me constantly, touching me, feeling me, dressing and undressing me, eyeing me, poking me, bathing me.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
