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 Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish playing Aunt Sassy, a dowdy sidekick character. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for dowdy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dowdy

Adjective

Charlotte won the rebound battle 51 to 44, but left the Pistons open way too often and were sloppy with the ball, committing 25 turnovers.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
The Lakers were sloppy with the basketball, turning it over 22 times.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sloppy

Adjective

When the employee told Gonzalez the questions were inappropriate, Gonzalez took a drink of beer and intentionally spat it onto the worker's arm.

— Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
According to the lawsuit, this arrangement is inappropriate because immigration detention is civil, not criminal.

— Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 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

Chemically straightened Afro hairstyles had gone from being the default to increasingly unfashionable.

— Ata-owaji Victor, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
The dressing room—with its old Persian rug and deeply unfashionable mahogany desk—is just wrong enough to be, well, cool.

— Plum Sykes, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfashionable

Adjective

The actor and producer has swapped the shaggy, caramel-toned lengths of recent months for a razor-sharp, jaw-grazing cut in a cool-toned shade of blonde.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Atop the mesh base, most of the overlays are also rendered in shaggy shade for a further emphasis on texture.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

The Bears have said previously that they are focused on pursuing a $2 billion stadium across the state line in Hammond or in suburban Arlington Heights, and that the Rate Field site was unsuitable, citing in part its limited size.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
The combination of leverage, daily resets, volatility, financing costs and higher expense ratios can make these products unsuitable as long-term buy-and-hold investments.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

The drunken Ken spends his time on such things as warbling a karaoke version of a 4 Non Blondes song while an unkempt Ryu is a purveyor of ramen so bad even a stray cat won’t eat it.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Wendy Louis, 40, was arrested Tuesday after deputies conducted a welfare check on his home on Northeast 175th Street and found his children extremely thin and with unkempt, matted hair, the sheriff’s office said.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unkempt

Adjective

During the 2022 midterm elections, independent observers from the Carter Center reported significant numbers of voters arriving at incorrect precincts, likely because of changes associated with redistricting.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
An earlier version of this story included an incorrect name and gender for the victim in the crash, based on information from the highway patrol.

— Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Browse Nearby Words

dowdily

dowdy

dower

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Dowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dowdy. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of dowdy

adjective

Example Sentences

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