as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
gone are the days when the high school prom was held in the gym, which had been gussied up for the occasion
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Recent Examples of gussy up
Alongside letting fans treat Majima like a Ken doll by fashioning his outfits, hairstyles, makeup, and jewelry, the game allows players to customize and gussy up his sea vessel.
—
Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2025
This luxe velvet Jennifer Behr Velvet Bow Barrette is classic enough to pair with jeans and a white tee, but can easily gussy up a nap dress with a clip of its barrette (no behind-the-head, blind-tying necessary).
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 27 Sep. 2024
Our readers offered their hacks to gussy up a frozen pizza and tips to make it from scratch.
—Tejal Rao, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Took several payments of $350,000—to gussy up China’s image in the West.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 14 July 2023
For a condiment upgrade, gussy up a bottle of ketchup with tahini.
—Joe Sevier, Bon Appétit, 14 June 2023
Chip and Joanna Gaines gussy up a boxed cake mix with yogurt, pudding mix and chocolate chips to make a showstopping sweet topped off with a homemade chocolate glaze.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2023
But the teen-witch narrative that the film adopts is hard to gussy up, especially since after Hocus Pocus there was no shortage of such stories, from Halloweentown to Sabrina (and its reboot).
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2022
Let the kids help, for a personalized touch. Kid Friendly Things To Do Grab some spray paint and gussy up some mini emergency cones for a festive fall version of horseshoes.
—Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2025
This luxe velvet Jennifer Behr Velvet Bow Barrette is classic enough to pair with jeans and a white tee, but can easily gussy up a nap dress with a clip of its barrette (no behind-the-head, blind-tying necessary).
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 27 Sep. 2024
Our readers offered their hacks to gussy up a frozen pizza and tips to make it from scratch.
—Tejal Rao, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Took several payments of $350,000—to gussy up China’s image in the West.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 14 July 2023
For a condiment upgrade, gussy up a bottle of ketchup with tahini.
—Joe Sevier, Bon Appétit, 14 June 2023
Chip and Joanna Gaines gussy up a boxed cake mix with yogurt, pudding mix and chocolate chips to make a showstopping sweet topped off with a homemade chocolate glaze.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2023
But the teen-witch narrative that the film adopts is hard to gussy up, especially since after Hocus Pocus there was no shortage of such stories, from Halloweentown to Sabrina (and its reboot).
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2022
Let the kids help, for a personalized touch. Kid Friendly Things To Do Grab some spray paint and gussy up some mini emergency cones for a festive fall version of horseshoes.
—Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gussy up
Verb
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Kirkton House Wood Fall Icon Candle One of the simplest ways to decorate for the season is with a fragrant candle.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
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City officials said no, and soon after, the city council passed an ordinance re-establishing a rule that only city employees can decorate its property.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Inside, walls are adorned with inlaid brass and white onyx mosaic, framing a three-dimensional image of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which is present in many RH Galleries and represents the RH design ethos.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Chicago Sky star forward Angel Reese is on the WNBA edition cover—an alt-product trend introduced in NBA 2K22 when former Sky star Candace Parker adorned a cover in honor of the WNBA’s 25th anniversary.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gussy up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gussy%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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