: a time or occasion for which fancy or formal clothing is worn
Miller used to favor high-necked lace blouses for dress-up and fishing hats for play. Curry Kirkpatrick
Marla feels comfiest in jeans and sweats but likes soft beiges for dress-up.People Weekly
Also like their parents, children want a wardrobe that is suitable for a variety of activities: play, school and dress-up. Andrea Skinner
2
: a game or activity (as for children) that involves dressing up in special clothing or costumes
Most young children like to play dress-up, parading around the house in their dad's wing tips or smearing their mom's lipstick all over their face. Christine Gorman
Nina was petite but too muscular to wear her mother's cast-off Chanel. She was like a girl playing dress-up. Tom Jenks
I drew pictures with her and played dress-up with our mother's party gowns. Lorene Cary
So get in the spirit with these costume parties, haunted tours, pet dress-ups, … and haunted houses.Cincinnati.com
Verb we always like to dress up when going to parties the war was a fiasco that the administration tried to dress up as a triumph
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Ever the stylist, Young also explained that jewelry like this offers an easy fix to dress up an ensemble for Zoom meetings. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2022 There was no pressure to dress up, there was no pressure to go and meet people, there was no pressure to wear high heels. Steve Baltin, Forbes, 24 July 2022 Attendees can dress up or down depending on personal taste. Marc Bona, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2022 For a top that's easy to dress up or down, opt for the Timeson V-Neck Short Sleeve Chiffon Blouse. Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2022 Her goal is to have customers dress up in their best outfits for their tea experiences. Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2022 Here, pops of lime green and navy enter in the form of patterned throw pillows to dress up an otherwise neutral color scheme. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Look no further for non-tacky Halloween party decor to dress up your fright night. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 15 July 2022 What better way to show your excitement than to dress up as Black Panther this Halloween? Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 12 May 2022 See More