DRESS DOWN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dress down mean? 

• DRESS DOWN (verb)
  The verb DRESS DOWN has 2 senses:

1. censure severely or angrily

2. dress informally and casually

  Familiarity information: DRESS DOWN used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DRESS DOWN (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Censure severely or angrily

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bawl out; berate; call down; call on the carpet; chew out; chew up; chide; dress down; have words; jaw; lambast; lambaste; lecture; rag; rebuke; remonstrate; reprimand; scold; take to task; trounce

Context example:

The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Hypernyms (to "dress down" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dress down"):

castigate; chasten; chastise; correct; objurgate (censure severely)

brush down; tell off (reprimand)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot dress down Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Dress informally and casually

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

dress down; underdress

Context example:

On Fridays, employees can underdress

Hypernyms (to "dress down" is one way to...):

dress; get dressed (put on clothes)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Antonym:

dress up (put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive)