1. unfashionable and unattractive in appearance; lacking style or elegance

1. a woman who dresses in an unfashionable or unattractive way
Usage: somewhat dated

Examples

• She felt dowdy in her old sweater next to her stylishly dressed friends.
• The dowdy office building needed a modern renovation.
• Her dowdy appearance belied her sharp intelligence and wit.
• The hotel’s dowdy lobby hadn’t been updated since the 1970s.
• She transformed from a dowdy into an elegant woman with a new wardrobe.
• His dowdy clothes made him look older than his years.