Hawaiian shirt

American

noun

a short-sleeved, loose-fitting, open-collar shirt originally worn in Hawaii, made of lightweight fabric printed in colorful, often bold designs of flowers, leaves, birds, beaches, etc.

Etymology

Origin of Hawaiian shirt

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A big man in a Hawaiian shirt and a Panama hat, Nelson said he gets calls from all over the world when Sept. 30 rolls around.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Ellinghouse didn’t wear a Hawaiian shirt Friday, but his footwear was flip-flops.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2024

Mike Love is sitting in a blah-looking room in a Sheraton hotel in North Carolina, the garish pattern of his signature Hawaiian shirt popping against the ochre wallpaper behind him.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2024

One man wearing a Hawaiian shirt leapt over rows of bleachers to get a better signal.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 12, 2023

His bright Hawaiian shirt mocks the somberness of the day.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023