What does underdress mean?
Underdress is chiefly a British verb meaning to dress someone in clothes that are too casual or otherwise unsuitable for the occasion. It normally takes a direct object, so one can underdress a guest, performer, or fictional character. The criticism implied by the word is not that a person is wearing too few clothes, but that the chosen clothing fails to meet an expected standard of formality; its opposite is overdress. The less common noun underdress means a dress or garment worn beneath another dress, a usage that can sound old-fashioned or literary and should not be confused with an underskirt, which is worn beneath a skirt. Underdress can therefore describe both an act of inappropriate dressing and an item of layered clothing. The verb is useful when discussing fashion, costume design, etiquette, or social expectations because it distinguishes being badly matched to an occasion from being physically underclothed.
To dress a person, or oneself, in clothing that is too casual or otherwise unsuitable for the occasion.
"The director was accused of underdressing the actors in the period drama."
Chiefly British in contemporary use; it may be transitive or reflexive.
A garment worn beneath another dress, especially an underskirt or slip.
"The costume included a long silk underdress beneath the ceremonial gown."
Relatively uncommon and somewhat literary or historical in tone.
The regular plural of the countable noun is underdresses.
"The wardrobe department supplied several lace underdresses for the scene."
Underdress has nothing to do with taking clothes off—it means the opposite: dressing someone too casually for the occasion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does underdress come from?
Underdress is a compound formed from the English words under and dress. Under descends from Old English, while dress entered Middle English from Old French and ultimately derives from Latin. The compound's verb use developed the sense of dressing someone below the standard of formality appropriate to an occasion, while its noun use refers to clothing worn beneath another dress.
Related word forms
How underdress is actually used
The verb is chiefly British and usually takes a direct object, although it can also be used reflexively. The noun is comparatively rare and may sound literary or old-fashioned.
Easily confused with underdress
Underdress is the verb describing the act of wearing unsuitable clothing, while underdressed is the adjective describing the person who is wearing it.
An underdress is worn beneath a dress, whereas an underskirt is worn beneath a skirt.
Undress means to remove clothing or become partly unclothed, while underdress means to dress someone too casually for the occasion.