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

On Thursday morning, clad in his pajamas, Garcia, 55, shot both his sister and mother in back bedrooms inside the first-floor apartment before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026

Cruz, wearing a Santa hat, shimmied behind a boogieing Victoria, 51, clad in a form-fitting grey dress. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

In cities from Dallas to Nashville, the aspiring Country singers perform in front of audiences clad in cowboy boots and hats. —Suzanne S. Brown, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026

Tribal wants to clothe women for their busy schedules, from commutes to the office to weekend shopping trips and from lounging at home to trips with friends. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 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