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dowdy love

dowdy

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby.
  • adjective Old-fashioned; antiquated.
  • noun A dowdy person; a frump.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A slatternly, slovenly, ill-dressed woman; a slattern, especially one who affects finery.
  • Slovenly; ill-dressed; slatternly: applied to women.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-looking.
  • noun An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.
  • adjective Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun deep-dish apple dessert covered with a rich crust
  • adjective primly out of date
  • adjective lacking in smartness or taste
  • noun British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Late 16th century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “little poorly dressed woman,” formed from doue “poorly dressed woman.”

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Examples

  • Her Aunt Mimi isn't beautiful, at least on the outside: she buries her features beneath thick powder, marches around in dowdy clothes and looks old beyond her years.

    A Grownup Look at Lennon as a 'Boy' Joe Morgenstern 2010

  • They had been out at General Headquarters, living in dowdy little hotels in Arras ever since October, most of them.

    The Blitzkrieg In Flanders 1940

  • The galaxy of handsome women that formed the court of the Emperor had perhaps sent beauty somewhat out of fashion; for the high-born ladies who took their place were what we should call dowdy, and had nothing distinguished in their appearance.

    Reminiscences of Captain Gronow Gronow, Rees Howell, 1794-1865 1862

  • While girlie, they weren't prim or dowdy, which is surely important to Stuart's typically young customer - someone like Emma Roberts, who sat in the front row.

    ABC News: Top Stories 2011

  • Have a look at this for a brilliant exposé of how the real flesh, blood, mousy hair and freckles of a 'dowdy' girl next door can be transformed into an unattainable goddess.

    Supermodel Erin O'Connor slams fashion world for lying to women 2011

  • Also, women are so worried about appearing "dowdy," but these paintings do not show magnificent clothing, just feminine clothing -- skirts and dresses.

    Archive 2009-07-01 2009

  • Also, women are so worried about appearing "dowdy," but these paintings do not show magnificent clothing, just feminine clothing -- skirts and dresses.

    Inspirational Sewing 2009

  • What a nice way to show that dressing modestly doesn't have to mean "dowdy" or "drab"!

    The Value of Clothing in Creating a Mood 2008

  • I admit to initially noticing her because she was kind of dowdy I was in a Starbucks of upscale clientele.

    The Adventure of TechieGirl Ashley R 2009

  • I admit to initially noticing her because she was kind of dowdy I was in a Starbucks of upscale clientele.

    Archive 2009-10-25 Ashley R 2009

  • The most mischievous urchins are afraid to hurt the dowdy-cow, believing if they did evil would inevitably befall them.

    Notes And Queries, Issue 9. LAMBERT B. LARKING. 2020

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