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 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
  1. sloppy
  2. inappropriate
  3. wrinkled
  4. unfashionable
  5. shaggy
  6. unsuitable
  7. unkempt
  8. incorrect
Adjective
  • Two innings later, the Dodgers took the lead again, rewarded for hard contact as the Brewers’ defense showed its first signs of sloppy play.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The pair seemed prepared and methodical—not sloppy carousers but people with a plan.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • On the police's Facebook account on Tuesday, officers criticized inappropriate comments and warned that sharing or joking about such incidents can worsen the impact on any victim.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, pharmaceutical advertising or education aimed at doctors may also increase inappropriate prescribing, probably increases the number of prescriptions written, and may increase the costs of prescriptions.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 9 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 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
  • 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
Definition of unfashionable
Adjective
  • Crafted by celebrity hair artist Coree Moreno, her dark brown ends appeared like a messier version of the flapper pixie — shaggy and teased all over.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • He was done with being shaggy — this would be an album of precision.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • In a setting designed to make exceptional yachts desirable, explaining why a particular vessel is unsuitable requires commercial discipline.
    — Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • What prevents an incorrect action from propagating into the physical process?
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The sports media rarely treats athletes who espouse liberal or progressive political views as problematic, even when those views are provocative, divisive, or factually incorrect.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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