dress-down
pertaining to or being a policy that allows employees to dress less formally than usual: dress-down days during the summer.
Origin of dress-down
1Words Nearby dress-down
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dress-down in a sentence
Late-night talk show hosts joked that when the Reagans relaxed, they would dress down from white tie to black tie.
Politicians courting the “NObama” vote almost always dress down, to appear one with their people.
Moreover, the sight of a familiar blue hat and blue-and-white dress down the platform drew Bunny like a magnet.
The Boy Scouts of Lakeville High | Leslie W. QuirkWhile they were talking she drew the sleeves of her dress down over her bruised wrists.
The Night Riders | Ridgwell CullumShe took the red-spotted dress down from its hook and threw it on the bed.
The Staying Guest | Carolyn Wells
She stopped presently, and drew the lace night dress down a bit.
The Forged Note | Oscar MicheauxDress down the remaining rough face to or near both gauge lines just drawn, and test with straight edge, as in the working face.
Carpentry and Woodwork | Edwin W. Foster
British Dictionary definitions for dress down
(tr) informal to reprimand severely or scold (a person)
(intr) to dress in a casual or informal manner, esp at work
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with dress-down
Scold, reprimand, as in The sergeant will dress down the entire unit. In the 15th century the verb dress alone was used in the sense of “punish,” down being added several centuries later. It also gave rise to the noun dressing down for punishment with blows or words. For example, The teacher gave the girls a severe dressing down.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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