dressy
Americanadjective
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appropriate to somewhat formal occasions.
an outfit that's a little too dressy for office wear.
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showy in dress; stylish.
a rather dressy reception.
adjective
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(of clothes) elegant
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(of persons) dressing stylishly
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over-elegant
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dressy
Explanation
Something that's dressy is characterized by elegant, expensive, or fancy clothes. You look dressy when you wear a ball gown, high heels, and a tiara on your head. A person can be dressy, and you can also describe the person's outfit as dressy — if it's a tuxedo with a bow tie and cummerbund — or an event as dressy, if it requires you to wear such an outfit. A dressy wedding calls for formal clothing, so you probably shouldn't wear a fisherman's sweater and sandals. Dressy was first used in the 18th century, from dress.
Vocabulary lists containing dressy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Heading back toward Olympic, I enter David Apparel on 1019 Santee St. The menswear collection here is sporty with Gucci-esque matching outfits and dressy shirts emblazoned with lions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
I could sense the urgency of a group of women behind me and stepped aside to let them pass; one remarked under her breath that my baseball cap wasn’t dressy enough for the occasion.
From Slate ● Nov. 21, 2023
The collection, which included looks for men and women, featured slouchy trousers and dressy jackets, lightweight overcoats and cotton trousers with elastic waists.
From Reuters ● Jun. 23, 2023
If you’re packing shoes for travel, consider a “sleaker,” the dressy sneaker that works for both city strolls and country treks.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
In our own house, Lucinda tries on every one of her dressy dresses, Mami watching and commenting.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
Models marched across a cobblestone catwalk in a courtyard of the Hotel de la Monnaie on the Left Bank in Paris wearing white, cotton sneakers or simple ballerina slippers that toned down dressier looks.
From Reuters ● Jun. 23, 2023
But even in classic black, paired with a dressier ensemble, I've learned that the bucket adds just the right amount of extra, without going overboard.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2023
The sumptuous first course is a dressier version of a dish “my mother used to do,” only with herring, says the chef.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2023
He spent more than $2,000 assembling a new wardrobe that was far dressier than his usual uniform of track suits and beanies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2022
But certain girls, like Grace Montgomery among the freshmen, and the dressier girls of the 206older classes, gabbled a deal more than was good for them about their “figures,” and studied the fashion-plates too much.
From A Little Miss Nobody Or, With the Girls of Pinewood Hall by Marlowe, Amy Bell
Even at their dressiest, they had a certain fun, comfort connection.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2020
Tassel loafers are considered to be the dressiest of loafers and their origins stem from a lace-up dress shoe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2016
They wore their dressiest civilian clothes, of course, and the President said: "I am glad to see that your trousers are not flopping around on the ground."
From Time Magazine Archive
Henry Seidel Canby's Thoreau, dressiest biography of him so far, is timely rather than definitive.
From Time Magazine Archive
Though the Nolans lived in the shabbiest house in Irish Town, the boys were the dressiest in the neighborhood.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
