From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdowdydow‧dy /ˈdaʊdi/ adjective 1 DCUGLYa dowdy woman is not attractive, because she wears dull and unfashionable clothes2 DCUGLYdowdy things are dull, unattractive, and unfashionable a dowdy dress
Examples from the Corpus
dowdy• To them, no doubt, I looked laughably dowdy.• Then the townhouses give way to dowdy apartment complexes with grimy windows facing the street.• The betting industry needs to shake off its dowdy appearance and attract customers who will still be customers in the 21st century.• Its dowdy appearance is a handicap.• Those dancing next to her in the line always felt dowdy by comparison.• Sometimes, Joan was the dowdy, make-up-less wallflower with curves that looked more like sacks.• Dorothy is on the dowdy side.• a dowdy uniform• He could see the battered standard lamp, the mirror, the dowdy wallpaper.Origin dowdy (1500-1600) dowd “dull unattractive person” ((14-20 centuries)) 