wardrobe malfunction

American

[wawr-drohb mal-fuhngk-shuhn] / ˈwɔr droʊb mælˌfʌŋk ʃən /

noun

Facetious.

an instance of a piece of clothing slipping, ripping, etc., and causing embarrassment for the wearer.

One of the models had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during the fashion show.

wardrobe malfunction British

noun

informal an embarrassing situation caused by the clothes a person is wearing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wardrobe malfunction

2004; coined by Justin Timberlake (born 1981), American singer and actor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri suggested on Real America’s Voice that the performance could be “much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.”

From Salon

Half-time performances have a history of sparking controversy - from Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction in 2004, to the live debut of Beyoncé's Black Lives Matter anthem Formation in 2016.

From BBC

He laughed, and we were off, trading theater jokes, wardrobe malfunction stories and references Thom couldn’t follow.

From Los Angeles Times

But it was Yang in prosthetics as Dobby the House Elf from “Harry Potter” who won the night despite a hilarious wardrobe malfunction — his rag outfit kept coming off at the shoulder.

From Los Angeles Times

Before he was killed earlier this month at a speaking event in Utah, one of the most popular video clips featuring Charlie Kirk showed him mocking a college girl for having a wardrobe malfunction.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023