Used with adjective complement

• look: She's also dressed and wigged to look as dowdy as possible.

• seem: The Marine County Holiday Inn seems rather dowdy, perhaps in comparison to the rest of the place.

Modifying Another Word

• rather: The Marine County Holiday Inn seems rather dowdy, perhaps in comparison to the rest of the place.

Modifies a noun

• image: Brighton council has brushed aside this dowdy image for its new central library.

• woman: Pregnant Gone are the days of dowdy pregnant women.