adjective
dowdy
DOW-dee
adjective
1
Old-fashioned and unattractive in style, especially of clothing.
"She complained that the uniform made her look dowdy."
"The hotel lobby had a dowdy, dated decor."
How to Use Dowdy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnfashionable and drab, usually describing clothes or style.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
dowdy dress
dowdy look
Word Forms
dowdier comparative, dowdied past tense, dowdies plural, Dowdys plural, dowdies singular, dowdiest superlative
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Etymology
First recorded around 1581; probably related to "dow," a Scots word meaning to fade or wither.