dressing-down

American  

[dres-ing-doun] / ˈdrɛs ɪŋˈdaʊn /

noun

1. a severe reprimand; scolding.

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dressing-down British  

noun

1. informal a severe scolding or thrashing

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Etymology

Origin of dressing-down

1860–65, noun use (with -ing ¹ ) of verb phrase dress down

Example Sentences

Some of those present left unhappy with the message and what they took as a dressing-down, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

This is a historic dressing-down of somebody who thought they were made of Teflon.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

The tensions were evident at the recent meeting when the issue of officer shootings led to a public dressing-down of the chief.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2025

“He says, ‘You’re not welcome here,’” Ms. Pollini said, crying as she recalled the intensity of his dressing-down.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2024

She’d get a dressing-down from the mechanics for that, in the unlikely event she actually survived this never-ending nightmare.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer