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dowdy

adjective

ˈdau̇-dē How to pronounce dowdy (audio)
Definition of dowdynext
1
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person a dowdy old matron

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste the dowdy, beat-up furniture at the cheap motel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dowdy Memorably dowdy fashion notwithstanding, the juicy role — part Nurse Ratched, part Jack Torrance — launched Bates into the Hollywood ether following years of false starts. — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 Cher’s memorable transformation from a dowdy Italian widow residing in Brooklyn, NY, stole the movie. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026 Chris Hemsworth, then, almost as good-looking as GNev himself, with his slightly dowdy brother Luke cast as good old Phil. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026 Bonus points for Sarah Sherman’s dowdy character, who accidentally got on the Epstein list. — Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dowdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dowdy
  1. sloppy
  2. inappropriate
  3. wrinkled
  4. unfashionable
  5. shaggy
  6. unsuitable
  7. unkempt
  8. incorrect
Adjective
  • The Mets allowed four earned runs in an exceptionally sloppy third inning, losing a 3-2 lead.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But that response, or leadership — a trait teammates and coaches see far more from Herbert than the public — is one of several reasons why the Chargers are supporting their quarterback despite the offense’s sloppy start to the season.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • The restaurant industry across the country is challenging and rife with workplace abuse and inappropriate behavior that includes issues like heavy drinking, inappropriate relationships, fights between employees and wage theft.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
  • For households, the AdGuard Family Plan also includes parental controls for restricting access to inappropriate and adult content.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of wrinkled
Adjective
  • The very characteristics that made blue-collar businesses unfashionable, their physicality and labor intensity, are now their defensive moat.
    — Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • As one Ithacan subject fondly recalls, Odysseus always had an unfashionable belief in playing fair.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of unfashionable
Adjective
  • He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • One of the villain’s henchmen was a small, shaggy blue creature with a long drooping snout and a sour expression that lived in a cigar box.
    — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • Like other foods, bird seed is perishable and will spoil if it’s kept in unsuitable conditions.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Medical supplies and fuel are running short after key supply routes between Mokha and Taiz were largely cut off, forcing convoys onto mountainous roads unsuitable for large trucks.
    — Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsuitable
Adjective
  • With his unkempt hair and ragamuffin clothing — was that a rope holding up his pants?
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Thus far, online commentary has focussed on what the trailer reveals of the sisters’ hair, which is often undone, even unkempt.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of unkempt
Adjective
  • The appropriate level of human involvement depends on financial exposure, customer impact, regulatory requirements, security implications, reversibility and the consequences of an incorrect decision.
    — Jayasri Ranganathan, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But predictions that the Islamic Republic would collapse proved incorrect.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of incorrect

Browse Nearby Words

dowdily
dowdy
dower
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Cite this Entry

“Dowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dowdy. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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