window dressing

window dressing

noun

Definition of WINDOW DRESSING

1

: the display of merchandise in a retail store window

2

a : the act or an instance of making something appear deceptively attractive or favorable b : something used to create a deceptively favorable or attractive impression

— win·dow–dress \ˈwin-dō-ˌdres\ transitive verb

— window dresser noun

Examples of WINDOW DRESSING

1. These changes are being made for a good reason. They're not just window dressing.
2. <the crime-does-not-pay moralizing is just window dressing for nasty hard-boiled stories>

First Known Use of WINDOW DRESSING

1895

Related to WINDOW DRESSING

Synonyms: facade (also façade), veneer, gloss

Related Words: cotton candy, fluff, tinsel; fig leaf; charade, front, guise, masquerade, pose, semblance, show

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