SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

dress down

verb

Definition of dress down

transitive verb

:to reprove severely

intransitive verb

:to dress casually especially for reasons of fashion

See dress down defined for kids

Examples of dress down in a Sentence

dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance

First Known Use of dress down

1852

dress down Synonyms

Synonyms

baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, scold, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, reprimand, reproach, score, tongue-lash, upbraid

Related Words

admonish, chide, remonstrate (with), reprove; abuse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, blame, blast, censure, condemn, criticize, crucify, denounce, dis (also diss) [slang], excoriate, fault, harangue, knock, lace (into), lash, pan, reprehend, revile, scourge, slam, vituperate; belittle, disparage, mock, put down; ridicule, scoff, scorn

Near Antonyms

approve, endorse (also indorse), sanction; extol (also extoll), laud, praise

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See words that rhyme with dress down Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dress down

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Examples: dress down in a Sentence