dressing-down

[ dres-ing-doun ]

/ ˈdrɛs ɪŋˈdaʊn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dressing-down ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a severe reprimand; scolding.

Words nearby dressing-down

dressing gown, dressing room, dressing sack, dressing station, dressing table, dressing-down, dressings, dressler, dressler beat, dressmaker, dressoir

Origin of dressing-down

1860–65, Americanism; noun use (with -ing¹) of verb phrase dress down

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dressing-down

Coming out again, the grim and forbidding doctor ordered Jimmie into his car, and oh, what a dressing-down he did give him!
Jimmie Higgins|Upton Sinclair
Furthermore, she had given Mike the Angel a dressing-down that had been quite impressive.
Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett
Perhaps you gave her such a dressing-down, Billie, that shes turned over a new leaf.
The Motor Maids' School Days|Katherine Stokes
That fellow I gave a dressing-down about India to up at the Pratts' there.
A Crooked Mile|Oliver Onions

"Deeper'n the Whale-deep," said Dan, with a wink, as he set the gear for dressing-down.
"Captains Courageous"|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for dressing-down

dressing-down

noun

informal a severe scolding or thrashing

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

dressing-down

noun

Content related to dressing-down

Words related to dressing-down

Words nearby dressing-down

Origin of dressing-down

Examples from the Web for dressing-down

British Dictionary definitions for dressing-down

noun