dresses; dressed; dressing
1
a
: to put clothes on (yourself or someone else)
They dressed themselves in a hurry.
He dressed the child in a snowsuit.
b
: to put clothes on yourself
She showered, dressed, and ate breakfast.
2
a
: to put on or wear a particular type or style of clothes
She dressed warmly for skiing.
He dresses fashionably/well.
She always dresses in black (clothes).
b
: to put on or wear formal clothes
She is dressing for the opera.
They always dress for dinner.
3
: to clean, put medicine on, and cover (a wound)
The nurse dressed the cut on my knee.
4
: to prepare (food) for cooking or eating
dress the chicken/salad
5
: to decorate (something, especially a window) for display
His job is to dress the store window for the holiday.
6
technical
: to prepare (wood, stone, leather, etc.) for use
plural dresses
1
: a piece of clothing for a woman or a girl that has a top part that covers the upper body and a skirt that hangs down to cover the legs
She wore dresses only on special occasions.
She wore a short/long black dress to the party.
Her wedding dress was decorated with lace.
2
: a particular type of clothing
The guests were clothed in traditional Indian dress.
It is wise to wear conservative dress to an interview.
always used before a noun
: suitable or required for a formal event
I wore dress pants and a nice sweater.
uncomfortable dress shoes
Cite this Entry
“Dress.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/dress. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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