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.
Her father, meanwhile, dressed down for the occasion and wore a Terrifier T-shirt, a black cap and gray jeans. Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024 Some of these folks even dressed down–this ideal works well too especially since sneakers and dresses are so of-the-moment. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 2 Oct. 2024 But at the same time, Snyder also thinks that the style is more than capable of being dressed down. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024 They can be dressed down for yoga or up with work clothes and have a flexible waist with a drawstring. Clint Davis, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near dress down

Cite this Entry

“Dress down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20down. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

dress down

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