Meanings
plural shalwars · alternative salwar · alternative salvar · alternative shalvar · alternative shulwar · alternative shulwaur
- pluralsingularLoose trousers worn in some South Asian or Islamic countries, especially by women but also by men, especially with a kamees.
How I longed to have him (my gardener, not my landlord) wear a great big turban, and shalwars, and an ankle bracelet.
1962, Vladimir Nabokov, Pale FireSynonyms: galligaskins, sherryvallies
Synonyms & antonyms
nounLoose trousers worn in some South Asian or Islamic countries, especially by women but also by men, especially with a kamees.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna pair of light loose trousers with a tight fit around the ankles; worn by women from the Indian subcontinent (usually with a kameez)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Classical Persianشَلْوَار
- Urduشَلْوار
- Hindiशलवार
- Englishshalwar
Borrowed from Hindi शलवार (śalvār)/सलवार (salvār) or Urdu شَلْوار (śalvār)/سَلْوار (salvār), from Classical Persian شَلْوَار (šalwār).
More words from Hindi, Urdu, Classical Persian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic سِرْوَال
- سِرْوَال (sirwāl)garment
Bengali সালোয়ার
- সালোয়ার (śalōẇar)garment
Bulgarian шалва́ри
- шалва́ри (šalvári)garment
Czech šaravary
- šaravarygarment
Finnish haaremihousut
- haaremihousutgarment
French charivari, sarouel
- charivarigarment
- sarouelgarment
- saroualgarment
German Sirwal, Sarouel
- Sirwalgarment
- Sarouelgarment
Greek σαράβαρα, σαράβαλλα
- σαράβαρα (sarávara)garment
- σαράβαλλα (sarávalla)garment
Hindi शलवार, सलवार
- शलवार (śalvār)garment
- सलवार (salvār)garment
Hungarian salavári
- salavárigarment
Indonesian salwar, sirwal
- salwargarment
- sirwalgarment
Lithuanian šarovarai
- šarovaraigarment
Malay seluar, salwar
- seluargarment
- salwargarment
Polish szarawary
- szarawarygarment
Portuguese shalwar
- shalwargarment
Punjabi ਸਲਵਾਰ, ਸ਼ਲਵਾਰ
- ਸਲਵਾਰ (salvār)garment
- ਸ਼ਲਵਾਰ (śalvār)garment
- سَلْوار (salvār)garment
- شَلْوار (śalvār)garment
Romanian șalvari
- șalvarigarment
Russian шарова́ры, шальва́ры
- шарова́ры (šarováry)garment
- шальва́ры (šalʹváry)garment
Swahili suruali
- surualigarment
Tamil சல்வார்
- சல்வார் (calvār)garment
Turkish şalvar, şelvar
- şalvargarment
- şelvargarment
Ukrainian шарова́ри, шарава́ри
- шарова́ри (šarováry)garment
- шарава́ри (šaraváry)garment
Urdu شَلْوار, سَلْوار
- شَلْوار (śalvār)garment
- سَلْوار (salvār)garment
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
shalwar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shalwar
“shalwar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shalwar. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shalwar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shalwar.
Source: shalwar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.