DOWDY (dowdier, dowdiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: dowdier    , dowdiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Dowdy mean? 

• DOWDY (noun)
  The noun DOWDY has 2 senses:

1. British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)

2. deep-dish apple dessert covered with a rich crust

  Familiarity information: DOWDY used as a noun is rare.

• DOWDY (adjective)
  The adjective DOWDY has 2 senses:

1. lacking in smartness or taste

2. primly out of date

  Familiarity information: DOWDY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DOWDY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Baron Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding; Dowding; Dowdy; Hugh Dowding

Instance hypernyms:

full general; general (a general officer of the highest rank)

marshal; marshall ((in some countries) a military officer of highest rank)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deep-dish apple dessert covered with a rich crust

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

dowdy; pandowdy

Hypernyms ("dowdy" is a kind of...):

pastry (any of various baked foods made of dough or batter)

• DOWDY (adjective)

Comparative: dowdier   
Superlative: dowdiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lacking in smartness or taste

Context example:

a clean and sunny but completely dowdy room

Similar:

styleless; unstylish (lacking in style or elegance)

Derivation:

dowdiness (having a drab or dowdy quality; lacking stylishness or elegance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Primly out of date

Synonyms:

dowdy; frumpish; frumpy

Context example:

nothing so frumpish as last year's gambling game

Similar:

unfashionable; unstylish (not in accord with or not following current fashion)

Derivation:

dowdiness (having a drab or dowdy quality; lacking stylishness or elegance)

 Context examples 

She's proud, but I don't believe she'd mind, for that dowdy tarlaton is all she has got.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

No, I'm tired of being dowdy, so I dressed up as a change.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She tried to forget it, but could not, and kept repeating to herself, Mrs. M. has made her plans, that fib about her mamma, and dowdy tarlaton, till she was ready to cry and rush home to tell her troubles and ask for advice.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)