in the altogether
1
9.9
- idiom
- NSFW
- She was caught in the altogether when the doorbell rang unexpectedly.
Examples
-
The artist asked her to pose in the altogether for the painting.
-
Why would anyone go in the altogether in public?
-
He accidentally walked into the living room in the altogether when his guests arrived early.
-
He walked around in the altogether at the beach.
-
He accidentally walked into the living room in the altogether when his guests arrived early.
-
She was caught in the altogether when the doorbell rang unexpectedly.
-
He walked around in the altogether at the beach.
Synonyms
161
3.7
Not wearing any clothes
32
1.9
A person who is not wearing any clothes
26
8.5
Completely without clothes
21
1.0
Not covered and showing the surface underneath
17
1.9
Not wearing clothes on a part of the body
14
1.8
Not covered by clothes and showing skin
9
4.6
Completely without any clothes
7
9.3
Not wearing any clothes
4
3.7
Not wearing any clothes
3
9.9
Completely without clothes
3
9.6
Completely without clothes with the bottom showing
2
9.9
Completely without clothes on
1
9.5
Having no clothes on
1
9.9
A person who has no clothes on
1
7.0
In a way that is not wearing any clothes
1
8.8
A person who has no clothes on
1
7.4
Completely without clothes like at birth
1
7.5
Not wearing any clothes
1
8.4
Not wearing any clothes
1
8.1
Not wearing any clothes
1
9.9
Not wearing any clothes
Not wearing any clothes
Not wearing any clothes
Completely without clothes, as when someone is born
Antonyms
How Clothed
Surface Forms
Morphology
in + the + altogether
Although 'altogether' means 'completely', the idiomatic use 'in the altogether' to mean 'naked' is not a straightforward compositional reading of 'in' + 'the' + 'altogether'. The presence of the article and the historical/idiomatic sense makes the meaning unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the individual words, so it is opaque.
Etymology
In the altogether as an adverb may come from the same old use of altogether meaning 'all' or 'complete', so to be 'in the altogether' shows a person with no clothes left on. That's why it means 'completely unclothed'.