dowdy

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dow·dy

 (dou′dē)
adj. dow·di·er, dow·di·est
1. Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby: a dowdy gray outfit.
2. Old-fashioned; antiquated.
n. pl. dow·dies
A dowdy person; a frump.

[From Middle English doude, immoral, unattractive, or shabbily dressed woman.]

dow′di·ly adv.
dow′di·ness n.
dow′dy·ish adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dowdy

(ˈdaʊdɪ)
adj, -dier or -diest
(Clothing & Fashion) (esp of a woman's dress) drab, unflattering, and old-fashioned
n, pl -dies
(Clothing & Fashion) a dowdy woman
[C14: dowd slut, of unknown origin]
ˈdowdily adv
ˈdowdiness n
ˈdowdyish adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dow•dy1

(ˈdaʊ di)

adj. -di•er, -di•est, adj.
1. not stylish; drab; out-of-date: dowdy clothes.
2. not neat; shabby.
n.
3. a dowdy woman.
[1300–50; Middle English doude unattractive woman]
dow′di•ly, adv.
dow′di•ness, n.
dow′dy•ish, adj.

dow•dy2

(ˈdaʊ di)

n., pl. -dies.
[1935–40; short form]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.Dowdy - British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)
2.dowdy - deep-dish apple dessert covered with a rich crust
pastry - any of various baked foods made of dough or batter
Adj.1.dowdy - lacking in smartness or taste; "a dowdy grey outfit"; "a clean and sunny but completely dowdy room"
styleless, unstylish - lacking in style or elegance; "a styleless way of dressing"; "expensive but styleless country tweeds"; "wearing unstylish clothes"
2.dowdy - primly out of date; "nothing so frumpish as last year's gambling game"
unfashionable, unstylish - not in accord with or not following current fashion; "unfashionable clothes"; "melodrama of a now unfashionable kind"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

dowdy

adjective frumpy, old-fashioned, shabby, drab, tacky (U.S. informal), unfashionable, dingy, unhip (slang), frumpish, ill-dressed, frowzy Her clothes were clean but dowdy.
smart, trim, neat, fashionable, chic, spruce, well-dressed, dressy
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dowdy

adjective
1. Quite outmoded or unfashionable:
Informal: tacky.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
قَليل الأناقَه، عَتيق
neelegantnístaromódní
gammeldagskedsommeligtrist
lompos
hallærislegur
neišvaizdusnemadingas
noplucisvecmodīgs
kılıksızmodası geçmiş

dowdy

[ˈdaʊdɪ] ADJ (dowdier (compar) (dowdiest (superl))) [person] → anticuado, trasnochado; [clothes] → trasnochado, pasado de moda
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dowdy

[ˈdaʊdi] adj [clothes] → démodé(e); [person] → mal fagoté(e)Dow-Jones average [ˌdaʊdʒəʊnzˈævərɪdʒ] n (US)indice m Dow-Jones
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dowdy

adj (+er)ohne jeden Schick
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dowdy

[ˈdaʊdɪ] adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) → scialbo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

dowdy

(ˈdaudi) adjective
(of dress etc) not smart; unfashionable.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
I hear she went to the Opera on Monday night, and told Tommy Rufford at supper that, as far as she could see, London Society was entirely made up of dowdies and dandies.
The men are all dowdies and the women are all dandies, aren't they?
Oh, anything to get away from the dowagers and the dowdies. [Rises and goes with LADY STUTFIELD to door L.C.] We are only going to look at the stars, Lady Hunstanton.