half-clothed
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Partially dressed; wearing some clothing but not enough to be considered fully or adequately covered. - This describes a state where a person is wearing clothing that covers only part of the body, leaving other parts exposed. It implies a lack of sufficient attire for modesty, warmth, or social convention.
Usage
- The adjective "half-clothed" is used to describe a person's state of dress. It is typically used in descriptive or narrative contexts.
- It often carries a connotation of vulnerability, poverty, informality, or, in some contexts, sensuality.
- It is generally used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb).
Examples
- The survivors of the shipwreck were half-clothed and shivering on the beach.
- He stumbled out of his tent, still half-clothed and rubbing his eyes.
- The artist's sketch depicted half-clothed figures working in the fields.
- She felt embarrassed to be seen half-closed in just a towel.
Advanced Usage
- "half-clothed" vs. "scantily clad": While similar, "scantily clad" more strongly implies a deliberate choice to wear revealing clothing, often for fashion or allure. "Half-clothed" can be more neutral, describing a state that may be involuntary (e.g., due to circumstance) or simply informal.
- Descriptive Nuance: The term can be used to evoke specific imagery, such as depicting historical poverty ("half-clothed peasants") or a state of emergency ("half-clothed refugees").
Variants and Related Words
- Undressed: More general, meaning not wearing clothes.
- Scantily clad: Wearing very little clothing, often by choice and in a revealing manner.
- Seminude: Partially nude; very similar in meaning to "half-clothed."
- Disheveled: Untidy, but can be used in conjunction with "half-clothed" to describe appearance (e.g., "half-clothed and disheveled").
Synonyms
- Partially dressed
- Seminude
- Scantily clad
- Inadequately clothed
Antonyms
- Fully clothed
- Dressed
- Attired
- Garbed
Related Phrases and Idioms
(Note: "Half-clothed" itself is not typically part of a phrasal verb or a common idiom. It functions as a standard descriptive adjective.) - Caught half-clothed: An expression describing being discovered in a state of partial undress. - He was caught half-clothed when the doorbell rang unexpectedly.
Adjective
- inadequately clothed