Verb They dressed themselves in a hurry. He dressed the child in a snowsuit. She showered, dressed, and ate breakfast. She dressed warmly for skiing. She is dressing for the opera. They always dress for dinner. The nurse dressed the cut on my knee. Noun She wore dresses only on special occasions. She wore a short black dress to the party. Her wedding dress was decorated with lace. The guests were clothed in traditional Indian dress. It is wise to wear conservative dress to an interview. Adjective I wore dress pants and a nice sweater. the naval commander wore his dress uniform to the ball See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
McGrew loves to dress herself (and her kids) up for Halloween. Staff Author Published, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2022 Toughen up the look in a lug-sole boot, or dress it up with a flirty cocktail shoe. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2022 Keep them washed and dried but wait to dress them until just before serving. Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 31 Aug. 2022 He has been known to dress him in a tuxedo and sunglasses, and sometimes even a hat. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 These days — no longer able to bathe or dress himself, and speaking with frequent pauses between sentences to sneak in a breath — Begay laments his decision to work in the mines. Eli Cahan, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Take advantage of this expansive effect by leaving windows bare, or dress them with draperies that match the color of the walls to create a seamless look. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2022 Keep it simple with a loaf of bread and a 1st place medal, or dress it up with a red, white, and blue '80s-style sweatband and socks set. Terri Robertson, Country Living, 16 Aug. 2022 Like other Minimalists, the Bechers conspicuously made humble art that didn’t dress itself up as art. Richard B. Woodward, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022
Noun
For her red-carpet hosting gig, Laverne Cox wore a dress from Olivier Rousteing's fall 2022 couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier. Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Sep. 2022 The dress, with its fluttery streams of fabric, boosted her mood. Laura Neilson, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The Inventing Anna actor wore a dramatic Jean Paul Gaultier mini dress on the 2022 Emmys red carpet, complete with exaggerated hip padding and swirling boob cones—a silhouette associated both with the French design house and Madonna. Ana Escalante, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2022 Zendaya wore a black fitted, sleeveless midi dress, featuring a scoop neckline and high leg slit, per photos published by the Daily Mail. Leah Campano, Seventeen, 8 Sep. 2022 The former first lady, her lips pursed, is seated on a sofa in the Red Room in a strapless, light blue dress. Darlene Superville, ajc, 7 Sep. 2022 She’s dressed in a body-hugging fire engine-red dress — the kind that would provoke a side eye of both judgment and reluctant approval from Barbara Howard, an enthusiast of cardigans and sensible shoes — for a subsequent photo shoot. Yvonne Villarrealstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2022 The singer's navy blue gown was a gorgeous rumpled, off-the-shoulder dress from Jean Paul Gaultier. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 28 Aug. 2022 Take for example the album cover for her latest album, Corazon y Cabeza, which features Bagwell donning a stunning red dress from Akira. Tricia Despres, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2022
Adjective
That's the case even if the job does not require dress clothes. Daniel B. Kline, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2017 Dress code controversies are nothing new, especially in the era of social media. Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 29 Aug. 2017 Factor in alterations: Dress alterations can be costly, so talk to your salon about their policy in advance. Emily Valla, idahostatesman, 21 July 2017 Dress-code-busting aside, these are some excellent, just-DGAF-enough outfits. Megan Gustashaw, GQ, 13 July 2017 Dress code double standards not only can make summer unbearable but also serve to police people's gender expression. Suzannah Weiss, Glamour, 23 June 2017 Dress Meets Body collection, which is set in a large funnel-like space with a video of Merce Cunningham’s dancers performing in the clothing by viewers’ feet. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 1 May 2017 Dress rehearsals are over and the Sky open their season Sunday on the road against the second-ranked Minnesota Lynx. Phil Thompson, chicagotribune.com, 12 May 2017 Dress blues and elegant gowns were the order of the day, at the Windsor High School annual Air Force Junior ROTC Ball, on April 22. Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, 5 May 2017 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French drescer, dresser to direct, put right, from Vulgar Latin *directiare, from Latin directus direct, past participle of dirigere to direct, from dis- + regere to lead straight — more at right