dress-up

[dres-uhp]

adjective

1. being an occasion, situation, etc., for which one must be somewhat formally well-dressed.

   the first dress-up dance of the season.

noun

1. Informal.,  Usually dress-ups.

   1. a person's best clothes.

      Wear your dress-ups for the reception.

   2. accessories or other added features.

      a car with custom dress-ups.

dress up

verb

1. to attire (oneself or another) in one's best clothes

2. to put fancy dress, disguise, etc, on (oneself or another), as in children's games

   let's dress up as ghosts!

3. (tr) to improve the appearance or impression of

   it's no good trying to dress up the facts

Word History and Origins

Origin of dress-up¹

First recorded in 1665–75; noun, adj. use of verb phrase dress up

Idioms and Phrases

Wear formal or elaborate clothes, as in I love to dress up for a party . [Late 1600s] For the antonym, see dress down , def. 2.

Put on a costume of some kind, as in The children love dressing up as witches and goblins . [Late 1800s]

Adorn or disguise something in order to make it more interesting or appealing. For example, She has a way of dressing up her account with fanciful details . [Late 1600s]

Related Words

• attire 
• clothe 
• deck out 
• embellish 
• spruce up