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
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Recent Examples of dowdy
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
Defense leaders have sat on their hands, refusing to acknowledge the need for dowdy, run-of-the-mill tankers.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Hydropower has a dowdy, low tech image that conjures visions of concrete and degraded ecosystems.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2015
See All Example Sentences for dowdy
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
Defense leaders have sat on their hands, refusing to acknowledge the need for dowdy, run-of-the-mill tankers.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Hydropower has a dowdy, low tech image that conjures visions of concrete and degraded ecosystems.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2015
See All Example Sentences for dowdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dowdy
Adjective
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As the most populous and sprawling county in the state, Fulton has often been tagged by Republicans as the bad egg among elections offices for its past record of long lines, late returns and sloppy bookkeeping.—
Patricia Murphy,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Officials say the scammers' schemes range from the savvy to the sloppy -- and all are brazen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In April 2025, a tipster submitted an online report alleging an inappropriate relationship between Gilkey-Meisegeier and the student.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Here’s a rapid-fire update on each stock in the portfolio, starting with seven currently unfashionable names that Jim says should soon be back in style.—
Paulina Likos,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
12 Dec. 2025
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Even the bearded Texas blues buzzards in ZZ Top, the most proudly unfashionable band around, became unlikely teen idols, just by embracing the absurdity of it all, with their white-fur guitars, and gender parody.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
16 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Sean Suen focused on shaggy tresses.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Spot shaggy giants grazing in the heart of the city.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
These turbines operate effectively in regions unsuitable for conventional wind farms, including mountainous terrain and remote coastal areas.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Tidy outdoor areas where insects and pests tend to hide, such as wood piles, leaf piles, overgrowth, or unkempt landscaping.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
30 Jan. 2026
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Helen gets defensive when those around her express concern about her behavior and her unkempt conditions.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Attackers can intentionally inject misleading or manipulative prompts to bypass security protocols or generate incorrect responses.—
Connie Etemadi,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
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Kiraly said the project experienced some delays due to incorrect measurements during construction, pushing completion back by a couple of months.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
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The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dowdy. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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