dress 1 of 3

noun

Definition of dressnext
1
as in gown
a garment with a joined blouse and skirt usually worn by a woman or girl what a lovely dress you're wearing today!

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2
as in costume
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation a bagpiper in full Scottish Highlander dress

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3
as in clothes
covering for the human body a businessman who is very conservative in his dress

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4
as in look
the outward form of someone or something especially as indicative of a quality another version of the Cinderella story but in modern-romance dress

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dress

2 of 3

adjective

as in formal
relating to or suitable for wearing to an event requiring elegant dress and manners the naval commander wore his dress uniform to the ball

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dress

3 of 3

verb

ˈdres How to pronounce dress (audio)
1
as in to bandage
to cover with a bandage first wash and then dress the wound

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2
as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming let's dress up the room with some greenery for the holiday party

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3
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure dress the granite block to be used as the headstone on all four sides

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to costume
to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes dressed the young girl in satin and lace

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5
as in to clothe
to put on one's best or formal clothes we don't usually dress for dinner

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6
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care dress the beans by applying fertilizer once a week

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dress
Noun
Some with similar gowns even offered Ippolito the chance to borrow their dresses for her wedding next year. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 Unlike on the runway, the Skims founder opted for a sculptural chunky platform in white patent leather to pair with the dress. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
Abdul Fahwami, dressed in jeans and flip-flops, visits the fish market at least once or twice a month, depending on how many people he‘s having over at his house that week. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Aurora residents are encouraged to dress in costume and explore the city’s downtown businesses this Saturday as part of the city’s annual Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos celebration, hosted by the Aurora Downtown District. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress
  1. gown
  2. costume
  3. clothing
  4. look
  5. formal
  6. bandage
  7. decorate
  8. polish
Noun
  • On the fall 2026 runways, romantic clothes arrived styled like everything else in your closet—a lace skirt with a cotton shirt, a gown with a combat boot, a ruffled collar over plain velvet trousers—and the shift is visible on the street too.
    — Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
  • She was held at Cumberland County Jail in an isolated cell, allowed only a thick, tear-resistant suicide-prevention gown and mattress, and a Styrofoam tray.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of gown
Noun
  • Pro Silver Star is also seeking a preliminary injunction on the use of the costumes.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The family-friendly festivities include trick-or-treating bags for the first 250 children younger than 12 in the vendor and tattoo rooms on Saturday, plus a kids’ costume contest where every participating child wins and specialty drinks.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of costume
Noun
  • The rise of cheaper fashion and athletic clothing subsequently put pressure on premium denim.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of clothing
Noun
  • There was even an implementation of a new look with offensive tackle Broderick Jones lining up outside of tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford for two run plays that resulted in 20 yards.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This is a tidy and attractive bike, with a lot of the cabling internally routed to keep the look nice and clean.
    — Loz Blain October 26, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of look
Adjective
  • His death comes in the third week of IDHW’s formal monitoring of the 2026-27 flu season.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026
  • OutKick had attended all 13 formal press conferences during the first three Finals games without being called on.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of formal
Verb
  • So that really helped me bandage those wounds from 1989, the fact that after all these years, there are people that still care pretty intensely about this movie.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Police then escorted Rajapaksa, who had one eye bandaged from recent surgery, to a vehicle to be taken to a jail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandage
Verb
  • Whitney McLaughlin, an art teacher at the school, worked with students through an after-school mural program to create artwork that now decorates a building at the park.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • About one-third (34 and 32 percent, respectively) begin decorating before November compared with 11 percent of boomers.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of decorate
Verb
  • Stick to simple color-blocking Work outfits should be polished, easy, and (perhaps most importantly) comfortable.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Nowadays, machinery like edge polishers make calibration, grinding, shaping and beveling possible with great ease and high-pressure waterjet cutting and polishing systems used for complex contours and sensitive materials.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of polish

Phrases Containing dress

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drenching
dress
dress down
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Cite this Entry

“Dress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dress

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