Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dowdy

/ˈdaʊdi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.41 in modern English

Syllables
dowdy
IPA
/ˈdaʊdi/
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A plain or shabby person.

verb

To press the crust into the filling during baking, to allow the juices to caramelize on top.

Transitive verb

name

A surname from Irish.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈdaʊdi/
  • British English: /ˈdaʊdi/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce dowdy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdaʊdi/.
What does dowdy mean?
Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.
Where does dowdy come from?
First appears c. 1581. Origin uncertain, probably literally "little poorly dressed woman," formed from doue, "poorly dressed woman". Possibly also related to the Scots dow, meaning to "fade".

How to pronounce dowdy

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dowdy”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdaʊdi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “dowdy”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “dowdy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.