What does "undress" mean?
Partial or informal dress for women, as worn in the home rather than in public.
Undress
/ʌnˈdɹɛs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Partial or informal dress for women, as worn in the home rather than in public.
- Grammar: undress is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: disrobe, strip, unclothe, divest.
- Useful contrasts: caped, clad, clothed in robes.
- Usage evidence: Please undress from the waist up.
How to use "undress"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "undress" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "undress" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "undress" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "undress" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "undress" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "disrobe" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "undress", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Partial or informal dress for women, as worn in the home rather than in public. archaic, countable, historical, uncountable
"Here he had not waited above ten minutes, when Emilia entered in a most inchanting undress, with all the graces of nature playing about her person, and in a moment rivetted the chains of his slavery beyond the power of accident to unbind."
- 2 partial or complete nakedness wordnet
- 3 Informal clothing for men, as opposed to formal or ceremonial wear. archaic, countable, historical, uncountable
"His undress, and the agitation he was apparently in, which she imputed to the effect of her charms, combined to make him appear more interesting both to the mother and daughter […]."
- 4 Now more specifically, a state of having few or no clothes on. countable, uncountable
"She returned to her dorm to find her roommate, fresh out of the shower, in a state of undress."
Verb
- 1 To remove one's clothing. archaic, reflexive
"She undressed herself before putting on her bedclothes."
- 2 get undressed wordnet
- 3 To remove one’s clothing. intransitive
"The doctor asked me to undress for the examination."
- 4 remove (someone's or one's own) clothes wordnet
- 5 To remove the clothing of (someone). transitive
"Mary began to undress her daughter in preparation for bathtime."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To strip something off. figuratively, transitive
- 7 To take the dressing, or covering, from.
"to undress a wound"
Example
"Please undress from the waist up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "undress"?
Common synonyms include: disrobe, strip, unclothe, divest, peel, strip down.
How do you use "undress" in a sentence?
Please undress from the waist up.
How do you pronounce "undress"?
Pronounced /ʌnˈdɹɛs/.
Etymology
From Middle English undressen, equivalent to un- + dress. Compare Old English unsċrȳdan (“to undress”, literally “un-shroud”).