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

In a sweet moment captured at Kensington Palace when William was six months old, then-Prince Charles can be seen holding onto his son as mom Diana — clad in a red-and-white dress — held up a teething ring. —Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025

The new renderings reveal a trapezoidal building clad in local stone cut into diamond shapes, the exterior’s hue intended to mirror that of the surrounding Red Rock Mountains. —News Desk, Artforum, 19 Dec. 2025

The manager relayed that Mangione was clad in a black jacket with a blue medical mask and a tan beanie. —Adam Reiss, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025

For cozy, upscale dinners, Spiga hosts up to 40 guests in a dining room clad in tufted leather, emerald velvet banquettes, and blush accents for a throwback vibe to 1970s Milan. —Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 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