dress down

verb

dressed down; dressing down; dresses down

transitive verb

: to reprove severely

intransitive verb

: to dress casually especially for reasons of fashion

Examples of dress down in a Sentence

dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Recent Examples on the Web The silky material can make this look dressed up for nice dinners out with the right top and heels, but it can also be dressed down with casual sandals and accessories. Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024 The tailored, mid-rise design is chic with a blazer, like Jennifer’s, but can just as easily be dressed down for a more casual look à la Joanna. Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 The two made low-key appearances in the crowd on April 12 and April 13, dressed down to enjoy the annual event held in Indio, California. Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024 For the reception, the NFL star dressed down, swapping his suit for a plain black polo shirt and a pair of gray jeans. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024 Princess Kate dressed down for the outing, wearing black leggings, a pair of black sneakers and a zip-up hoodie (with a subtle message to her royal work!). Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Among the similarities Stephenson highlighted was an early moment in which the protagonist is summoned to his boss’ office and dressed down for wronging a politician. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 There's something so fun about seeing our favorite ultra-glam celebs dressed down for a day of errand-running and hanging at home. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 3 Jan. 2024 He’s used it to demand customers buy more steel and to dress down analysts who’ve dared to critique his company’s performance. Bob Tita, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dress down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress down was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near dress down

Cite this Entry

“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20down. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

dress down

verb
1
: to criticize severely
2
: to dress casually
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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