dirndl

noun

ˈdərn-dᵊl 

1

: a dress style with tight bodice, short sleeves, low neck, and gathered skirt

2

: a full skirt with a tight waistband

Examples of dirndl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thousands of revelers — the women dressed in Bavarian dirndls, the men in lederhosen — stormed the beer tents on Munich's Theresienwiese fairground in the morning to get a good spot on the benches. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

And, as always, dirndls and lederhosen are welcome but not required. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Try polka lessons, dress in your dirndl for the costume contests, or belly up to the bar for a shotski world record attempt. — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 1 Sep. 2026

But there’s more to Oktoberfest dressing than simply putting on a dirndl. — Carolin Lehmann, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for German Dirndlkleid, from German dialect Dirndl girl + German Kleid dress

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dirndl

noun

ˈdərn-dᵊl 

: a full skirt with a tight waistband

Etymology

a shortened form of German Dirndlkleid, literally, "girl's dress," from Dirndl "girl" and Kleid "dress"