ill-dressed
Definition
- Adjective:
- Poorly or unattractively clothed: Describes a person whose clothing is considered unsuitable, unflattering, untidy, or of poor quality for the occasion or setting.
- Not wearing appropriate or stylish attire: Indicates a lack of care, fashion sense, or conformity to expected dress standards.
Usage
- The adjective "ill-dressed" is used to describe a person's appearance. It is typically used before a noun (attributively) or after a linking verb (predicatively). It often carries a negative or critical connotation, implying a judgment about the person's clothing choices.
- Attributive use:
- Predicative use:
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "Ill-dressed" can be used in comparative and superlative forms: , , .
- Of all the attendees, she was the most ill-dressed.
- It can be part of a more descriptive phrase:
- He was ill-dressed for the weather, shivering in a thin jacket.
Variants and Related Words
- Ill-clad (adj.): A less common, more formal synonym meaning poorly clothed.
- Shabbily dressed (adj. phrase): Emphasizes worn-out, old, or ragged clothing.
- Sloppily dressed (adj. phrase): Emphasizes a careless, untidy appearance.
- Underdressed (adj.): Specifically means not dressed formally enough for an occasion. (Note: This is a distinct compound word, not a variant of "ill-dressed" itself).
Synonyms
- Shabbily clad
- Sloppily attired
- Unfashionably dressed
- Dowdy (primarily for women's clothing)
Antonyms
- Well-dressed
- Elegant
- Stylish
- Smartly dressed
- Dapper (primarily for men)
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To be dressed in rags: To wear very old, torn clothing.
- The orphan was dressed in rags.
- To look like something the cat dragged in: An informal, humorous idiom for looking very untidy and ill-dressed.
- After working in the garden all day, I looked like something the cat dragged in.
Adjective
-
not well dressed
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