fancy dress

noun

: a costume (as for a masquerade) chosen to suit the wearer's fancy

Examples of fancy dress in a Sentence

Everyone wore fancy dress for the ball.
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.
The model's carousel post for Long's birthday also included a selection of photos looking back on memories of them together, including locking lips in a photo booth and wearing fancy dress costumes. Latoya Gayle, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024 Meghan Markle did the very normal (but rare for Royals) thing of recycling a fancy dress. Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2024 This relaxed style makes packing fancy dress clothes much less of a chore. Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Will all the fancy dresses, red carpet anecdotes, viral moments, and Old Hollywood allure convince us that anything is actually fine? Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 9 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fancy dress 

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fancy dress was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near fancy dress

Cite this Entry

“Fancy dress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fancy%20dress. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!