dress down

verb

dressed down; dressing down; dresses down

transitive verb

: to reprove severely

intransitive verb

: to dress casually especially for reasons of fashion

Examples of dress down in a Sentence

dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Merely getting to a point where Ukrainian and Russian officials could sit at the same table took an excruciating amount of time and effort, including an Oval Office dressing down of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and bilateral conversations between the Americans and the Russians. Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025 King Charles warmly greeted President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of support at his estate on the North Sea coast just two days after his extraordinary dressing down by President Trump at the White House. Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025 He’s continued to use that language in office, speaking favorably of Putin while publicly dressing down Zelensky. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025 Buyers have worn it to weddings, bridal showers, and birthday parties, but it can easily be dressed down with sneakers or sandals for a day at the office. Clara McMahon, People.com, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for dress down

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress down was in 1852

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20down. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

dress down

verb
1
: to criticize severely
2
: to dress casually
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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