Definitions

dowdy

[dou-dee] / ˈdaʊ di /

ADJECTIVE

poorly dressed; old-fashioned

Synonyms

STRONGEST

antiquated dingy drab frumpy run down shabby unkempt

STRONG

bygone plain vintage

WEAK

archaic baggy bedraggled blowsy dated dull frowzy homely moldy old hat out-of-date outdated outmoded passé scrubby slatternly sloppy slovenly stodgy tacky tasteless unfashionable unseemly unstylish untidy wrinkled

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright good neat

WEAK

chic classy fashionable modern

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Back at the van, PC Josh Dowdy detains a 12-year-old boy who is already banned from the city centre and on bail.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—From the cab of his tow truck, George Dowdy clicked a remote control to slide the boom under a parked Chevy Trax and grab its front tires.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Brad Dowdy, aka The Pen Addict, explains how he turned his hobby into a career.

From Slate • Sep. 17, 2023

Moore spokesperson Demi Dowdy said Friday that she had no additional comment beyond her statement Thursday that gambling would require “further caucus consideration” before it could be included in the budget.

From Washington Times • Sep. 8, 2023

As a house-keeper, Mrs. Dowdy could only "please the pigs"; and this reminds me what an apt word we have in dunky for a rotund, obese, little porket.

From The Bed-Book of Happiness by Begbie, Harold

Vocabulary lists containing dowdy

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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Howl's Moving Castle

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