underdressed

British

/ ˌʌndəˈdrɛst /

adjective

wearing clothes that are not elaborate or formal enough for a particular occasion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 friend who was at the party with me recalls that, as underdressed as he was, Epstein pulled everyone’s focus to him—even the most powerful people in the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

As I waited for my cappuccino in a line of VIP shoppers and newsletter subscribers sporting an abundance of Chanel handbags, I felt underdressed in jeans, sans blowout.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2023

Then one evening, in front of Sarah and Mark and a sad bowl of underdressed salad, she tells him that she heard what he said.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

I’m going to be underdressed for the magentaverse.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022

I’m underdressed next to him, with my hair in a ponytail and my jeans flecked with gold paint.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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