DOWDY Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

dowdy

adjective

ˈdau̇-dē

Definition of dowdy

as in sloppy

lacking neatness in dress or person a dowdy old matron

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Once known for dowdy packaging and perhaps questionable tastes or ingredients, the products now compete with national name brands, sparking a shakeup among major food companies. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dowdy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dowdy

Adjective

With a pointed collar and button cuffs, flannels look more put-together than sloppy sweatshirts, all while staying comfy and relaxed.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of sloppy

Adjective

The home, along Norris Avenue in the northern Arden-Arcade area, has sparked opposition from neighbors and local officials who say its location near multiple schools and in the middle of a residential neighborhood is inappropriate.

— Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Hochman said Flores simply could have taken notes on the inappropriate comments and turned them in to superiors or the independent inspector general, which strikes me as either sweetly naive or disingenuous.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 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

The pile is less shaggy and the patterns lean geometric over minimalist.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026
At its best, that instinct lends his comedies a shaggy warmth and a conspiratorial mood that suggests the filmmaker, character, and even viewers are all surviving the humiliation of modern intimacy together.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

When channels are created with unsuitable blades, angles, or placement, transplanted hair may grow in an unnatural direction or produce an overly uniform appearance.

— Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Websites often attract unsuitable clients due to ineffective copy, hindering business growth.

— Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

Also in July, following a tenant’s eviction, the NYPD and ASPCA discovered nine dead cats inside the filthy, unkempt Queens apartment.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Milkweed tends to thrive in transitional areas, such as fallow fields, unkempt lawns, and the edges of highways.

— Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

Definition of unkempt

Adjective

The fact that the scoreboard was incorrect, Guccione told a pool reporter after the game, does not play a part in the ruling.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
The counterweight to that allure is emotional intelligence, the instinct to notice when the numbers are accurate, but the feeling is incorrect.

— Olatunde Badmus, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Browse Nearby Words

dowdily

dowdy

dower

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Style

“Dowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dowdy. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dowdy

adjective

Example Sentences

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