dress-up

1 of 2

noun

plural dress-ups
1
: 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

dress up

2 of 2

verb

dressed up; dressing up; dresses up

transitive verb

1
: to make more attractive, glamorous, or fancy
dress up a plain dessert with a rich chocolate sauce
2
a
: to attire in best or formal clothes
b
: to attire in clothes suited to a particular role
3
: to present in the most attractive or impressive light
a fiasco dressed up as a triumph

intransitive verb

: to get dressed up

Examples of dress-up in a Sentence

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
Noun
Vernon knows that some of her clients use perfume as a tool to embody their truest self, and others use it like playing dress-up, sharing a different iteration of their identity. Alice Wolfe, Allure, 15 Mar. 2024 Apart from playing dress-up, the kids indulged in tea, fruit, croissants, and donuts. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Each matinee will be preceded by pre-show dress-up party, a first for the ballet. Lezlie Sterling, Sacramento Bee, 16 Feb. 2024 Chenille and linen present a more casual, sporty vibe, even though these, too, can also be considered dress-up. Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024 Over the summer Hadid shared an Instagram carousel of snapshots from her idyllic countryside summer that featured several of Khai playing dress-up, picking flowers, and feeding horses. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 26 Jan. 2024 Manning often shares photos of his kids on Twitter (McGrew is not on social media), which show them spending time in the pool, out to eat and playing dress-up. Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024 Production enjoys playing dress-up with Beane, and Beane enjoys getting to embody an assortment of feisty vamp archetypes. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2024 At the same time, makeup can be fun for role-playing dress-up, required for stage performances, and just a form of expression. Rich Scherr, Parents, 9 Jan. 2024
Verb
Costumed participants can dress up and rub elbows with characters from their favorite novels or enjoy the fantasy setting as observers. Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Each one is easy to dress up with a sparkly shoe or worn casually with a denim jacket. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2024 Though only 1 in 10 people in the U.S. claim Irish heritage, many Americans borrow from the Irish on Saint Patrick's Day, dressing up in green, drinking Guinness and celebrating the gorgeous and proud nation of Ireland. USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 The Jacksons’ uncanny resemblance was evident in a set of photos released in February, which shows Jaafar dressed up as a young Michael. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Aside from giving it a different texture that feels great on the skin, the waffle knit design also lends itself well to easily being dressed up or down and can be worn for just about any occasion with the right bottoms, shoes, and accessories. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2024 Is the motorist just dressing up the plate, or trying to elude tolls and red-light camera fines? Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which many Muslims celebrate by dressing up in new clothes, making communal prayers and gifting money to children. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 But Dion’s unexpected ensemble reflects a time in Hollywood where dressing up was entirely organic and, at times, even unhinged. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from the phrasal verb dress up

First Known Use

Noun

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress-up was circa 1513

Dictionary Entries Near dress-up

dress up

dress-up

dressy

Cite this Entry

“Dress-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress-up. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dress up

verb
1
: to put on one's best or formal clothes
2
: to put on strange or fancy clothes
dress up for Halloween
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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