underdress
verb
un·der·dress
ˌən-dər-ˈdres 
underdressed; underdressing; underdresses
: to dress in clothes that are too informal or not warm enough for an occasion
He underdressed for the formal event.
Frostbite and hypothermia are common winter occurrences, and the solution is not to underdress.—
John Schandelmeier
John SchandelmeierExamples of underdress in a Sentence
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When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
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Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underdress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdress. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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underdress
verb
un·der·dress
ˌən-dər-ˈdres
: to dress more simply or informally than is appropriate for an occasion
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