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
Curry KirkpatrickMarla feels comfiest in jeans and sweats but likes soft beiges for dress-up.—People Weekly
People WeeklyAlso like their parents, children want a wardrobe that is suitable for a variety of activities: play, school and dress-up.—Andrea Skinner
Andrea Skinner2
: 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
Christine GormanNina was petite but too muscular to wear her mother's cast-off Chanel. She was like a girl playing dress-up.—Tom Jenks
Tom JenksI drew pictures with her and played dress-up with our mother's party gowns.—Lorene Cary
Lorene CarySo get in the spirit with these costume parties, haunted tours, pet dress-ups, … and haunted houses.—Cincinnati.com
Cincinnati.com
dressed up; dressing up; dresses up
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
: to get dressed up
Synonyms
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 WebJon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Her freshman year, for example, Williams claimed students lost the privilege of having themed dress-up days for football games after some showed up in blackface and Afro wigs.
—Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Shop jewelry, dress-up pieces, crafts—like this beading kit—for littles of all ages.
.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
Or maybe there’s no message intended here and the whole exercise was just an excuse to allow friends Anne and Jessica to play dress-up for a few weeks.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
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
Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The mosque, close to the Detroit-Dearborn border, attracted a diverse crowd of worshippers, many dressed up in suits, dresses, traditional Muslim robes and Palestinian scarves.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
The silky material can make this look dressed up for nice dinners out with the right top and heels, but it can also be dressed down with casual sandals and accessories.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
Thanks to their minimal and chic style, they can easily be dressed up or down, which is a big plus.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
Well, that is how it is being dressed up, anyway: What is actually happening is that some of the league’s clubs are trying to find a method, effectively, to abolish financial regulation.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Started during the pandemic, the series found Fripp and Wilcox covering snippets of various songs while also dressing up in increasingly ridiculous and elaborate costumes.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
This piece is highly wearable and easily dressed up or down depending the occasion.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2024
De La Rosa dressed up in a bubblegum pink dress and matching Easter bunny ears, while Cannon was decked out in a full-body Easter bunny costume.
—USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
But with the nation fighting an actual war, who would want to play dress-up as a soldier?
The movement left a legacy, though.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Her freshman year, for example, Williams claimed students lost the privilege of having themed dress-up days for football games after some showed up in blackface and Afro wigs.
—Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Shop jewelry, dress-up pieces, crafts—like this beading kit—for littles of all ages.
.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
Or maybe there’s no message intended here and the whole exercise was just an excuse to allow friends Anne and Jessica to play dress-up for a few weeks.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
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
Verb
In Beverly Hills, Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monáe were all dressed up at the 2024 Fashion Trust Awards.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The mosque, close to the Detroit-Dearborn border, attracted a diverse crowd of worshippers, many dressed up in suits, dresses, traditional Muslim robes and Palestinian scarves.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
The silky material can make this look dressed up for nice dinners out with the right top and heels, but it can also be dressed down with casual sandals and accessories.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
Thanks to their minimal and chic style, they can easily be dressed up or down, which is a big plus.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
Well, that is how it is being dressed up, anyway: What is actually happening is that some of the league’s clubs are trying to find a method, effectively, to abolish financial regulation.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Started during the pandemic, the series found Fripp and Wilcox covering snippets of various songs while also dressing up in increasingly ridiculous and elaborate costumes.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
This piece is highly wearable and easily dressed up or down depending the occasion.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2024
De La Rosa dressed up in a bubblegum pink dress and matching Easter bunny ears, while Cannon was decked out in a full-body Easter bunny costume.
—USA TODAY, 31 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.
Dictionary Entries Near dress-up
Cite this Entry
“Dress-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress-up. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share