clothe

verb

ˈklōt͟h 

clothed or clad ˈklad  ; clothing

transitive verb

1

a

: to cover with or as if with cloth or clothing : dress

b

: to provide with clothes

the cost of feeding and clothing a family

2

: to express or enhance by suitably significant language : couch

treaties clothed in stately phraseology

3

: to endow especially with power or a quality

… the nobility in which religion and history can clothe humanity.

—D. R. Wallace

Synonyms of clothe

• dress
• garment
• apparel
• costume
• gown
• attire
• toilet
• garb

Examples of clothe in a Sentence

the cost of feeding and clothing your children

they liked to clothe the twins in identical outfits just to confuse people

Recent Examples on the Web

Aussie Rules lads are almost clothed enough to enter a convenience store. —Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Not feeding the hungry, not tending to the sick, not clothing the naked, not welcoming the refugee. —Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

The chief suspects are two young white men who entered the museum clad in black and carrying a bag. —News Desk, Artforum, 17 June 2026

On Saturday afternoon, thousands of Brazil fans, clad in highlighter yellow jerseys, made the trek to New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) to watch their team play Morocco in its first game of this World Cup. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English clāthian, from clāth

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for clothe

• loathe

Kids Definition

clothe

verb

ˈklōt͟h 

clothed or clad ˈklad  ; clothing

1

a

: to cover with or as if with clothing : dress

b

: to provide with clothes

2

: to express in a certain way

clothe your thoughts clearly