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
  • One possibility is that teams are simply playing sloppier football.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But sloppy play extended the fifth inning and put the Dodgers in a hole again.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • The Portland Trail Blazers fired new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when past inappropriate social media posts resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Sheriff’s officials said, investigators as of Thursday had not uncovered evidence indicating Chen had inappropriate physical contact with a child.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 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
  • Sans the shaggy material, further animal looks have popped at Nike on drops including a cow Primeknit Pegasus Plus and an Air Force 1 Low with leopard print canvas Swoosh.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • And the religious character of this language is by no means unsuitable to this project of science that was bathed in biblical metaphors from the get-go—Code name Trinity, to cite just one example.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Like other foods, bird seed is perishable and will spoil if it’s kept in unsuitable conditions.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 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
  • That can include circumstances outside the property holder’s control or if the Controller’s Office gave them incorrect information.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The company says its services can produce incorrect or incomplete information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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