clothes
6 synonyms for clothes, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Items worn on the body to cover it, keep it warm or present a chosen appearance — shirts, trousers, dresses, coats and the like — taken together.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
garments
How to use clothes
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
clothes on
change your clothes
clothes shop
dirty clothes
clothes horse
Neutral and everyday. Attire and apparel are formal or trade terms; garments is retail and laundry language.
Etymology
From Old English clathas, the plural of clath 'cloth, garment'; clothes and cloth are historically the same word.
Full origin of clothes →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between clothes and clothing?
They mean the same things but behave differently. Clothes is always plural and takes a plural verb; clothing is uncountable and slightly more formal or general. Say my clothes are dirty, and the clothing industry, not my clothings.
Is clothes singular or plural?
Always plural. There is no singular form — you cannot say a clothe. For one item, say a piece of clothing, an item of clothing, or name the garment.
How is clothes pronounced?
Most speakers say it as klohz, identical to close as in close the door. Carefully pronouncing the TH is not wrong but sounds unusual in ordinary speech.
