Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ill-dressed

ill-dressed

5.5
Wearing clothes that look messy or not right for the occasion
  • adjective
  • /ˌɪlˈdrɛst/
translation icon : mal vestido
  • They all looked down the aisle where a heavy, ill-dressed man with a bad complexion sat alone.

Examples

  • The children looked ill-dressed in their oversized and mismatched clothing.

  • "He was not particularly ill-dressed."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • When he was poor, ill-dressed, and chilled to the bone.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Despite the cold weather, he arrived at the party ill-dressed in a torn t-shirt and flip-flops.

  • She felt out of place at the formal event, being ill-dressed compared to the elegantly attired guests.

Synonyms

unkempt
vsill-dressed
13 5.1

Not neat in appearance, often with messy hair or clothes

adds fashion and appropriateness issues, not only lack of neatness
unfashionable
vsill-dressed
8 3.7

Few people wear it now because it is not in style

also refers to untidy or inappropriate clothes, not only being out of trend
unstylish
vsill-dressed
1 3.7

Not fashionable or elegant in appearance

includes messy or inappropriate clothing rather than only lacking elegance

Antonyms

fashionable
85 2.6

Popular now because it follows the current style

well-dressed
29 2.4

Wearing neat, clean clothes that look smart, like a suit or nice shirt

How Well-Dressed

elegant
165 3.3
smart
127 2.4
neat
144 1.0
ill-dressed
5.5
untidy
11 1.0
scruffy
23 3.8

Surface Forms

ill-dressed positive

Morphology

ill-dressed = dressed (transparent) = ill + dress + ed

The adjective is directly formed by adding 'ill' (badly) to 'dressed' (clothed), so learners who know those parts can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Ill-dressed joins ill meaning 'bad' and dress meaning 'to put on clothes'. So, ill-dressed describes someone wearing clothes that look 'bad' or not right for the occasion.