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

• 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

So why does the sight of her, bottle-blonde and clad in a green dress that screams vintage Dream Factory glitz, still give off such deflating Jenny-from-the-block vibes? —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025

The girl’s been looked after and clothed and fed and sent to lovely schools. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025

Dillane, clothed in an Adidas track suit, smokes a cigarette. —Esther Zuckerman, Time, 10 Oct. 2025

In the months that followed, the brewery has become a place where guests clad in blue and orange jerseys go to celebrate a Detroit Lions or Tigers game over creamy Honey Oat Stouts. —Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025

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