togs

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Clothes, especially ones for a certain activity, in a casual or slightly old-fashioned way of speaking.

   Grammar: Always plural with no singular: my togs are in the bag.

   Patterns

   • in your togs
   • gym togs
   • new togs

   I'll just change into my gym togs and meet you outside.

   He turned up at the wedding in his best togs.

   The kids pulled on their old togs and ran out to play in the mud.

2. 2nounpluralAustralian

   A swimming costume or swimsuit, in Australian and New Zealand English.

   Grammar: Plural in form: pack your togs.

   Patterns

   • pack your togs
   • swimming togs

   Don't forget your togs; we are going to the beach.

   She grabbed her togs and towel and headed to the pool.

   The kids were already in their togs by the time we parked.

Common combinations

in his best togs

Grandpa arrived in his best togs and a bow tie.

gym togs

She keeps a spare set of gym togs in her locker.

swimming togs

Swimming togs were drying on the line.

change into togs

We changed into our togs and jumped in the lake.

fancy togs

He felt silly in such fancy togs at a picnic.

Synonyms and how they differ

clothes

Clothes is the neutral, everyday word, while togs sounds casual and slightly dated.

gear

Gear suggests equipment as well as clothes for an activity, but togs refers only to what you wear.

garb

Garb sounds more formal or humorous and often describes a distinctive outfit.

duds

Duds is also slangy and American, and tends to stress clothes seen as plain or worn out.

Word family

tog verb

to dress, as in tog up or tog out

togged adjective

dressed, usually in togged up or togged out

Commonly confused: togs or tog?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “togs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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