underwear

noun

ˈən-dər-ˌwer How to pronounce underwear (audio)
Definition of underwearnext
as in panties
clothing intended to be worn underneath other clothing he had been sleeping in his underwear so he had to put a robe on before answering the door

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of underwear Hailey Bieber bared some skin in her Skims underwear for a new campaign. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 22 June 2026 Her red underwear and Smith's Ryobi torch were recovered five days later. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 Enter Carmen Liu, a lingerie designer who specializes in tucking underwear; and fajas, a shapewear garment fashioned after a corset that transgender women use these to mold their figures while undergoing transition. — Nicky Josephine, Vogue, 29 June 2026 Madonna, who championed the underwear as outerwear trend in the 1990s, also came under fire after wearing a Dolce & Gabbana corseted top and ruffled satin bloomers for a surprise concert in Times Square earlier this month. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for underwear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underwear
  1. underclothing
  2. lingerie
Noun
  • This is the first summer the faith, widely known as the Mormon church, has offered the underclothing without sleeves in its nearly 200-year history.
    — Ciara Hulet, NPR, 18 Aug. 2025
  • La Corte also had to construct temple garments, the white underclothing worn by adult Latter-day Saints after they are endowed in the temple.
    — Meredith BlakeStaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2022
Definition of underclothing
Noun
  • Their lingerie, as well as their linen sets, were from Intimissimi.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 1 July 2026
  • Enter Carmen Liu, a lingerie designer who specializes in tucking underwear; and fajas, a shapewear garment fashioned after a corset that transgender women use these to mold their figures while undergoing transition.
    — Nicky Josephine, Vogue, 29 June 2026
Definition of lingerie

Browse Nearby Words

under way
underwear
under weigh
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underwear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underwear. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on underwear

Nglish: Translation of underwear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about underwear

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