dress-up
dress-up — noun
1. An activity, especially for children aged three to ten, in which you put on cost
An activity, especially for children aged three to ten, in which you put on costumes, fancy clothes, or accessories and pretend to be a different person, animal, or character — for example, a cowboy, a princess, or a superhero.
The kindergarten classroom had a big box of old hats and jackets for dress-up.
collocation: dress-up box / basket / corner
Sumin spent the whole rainy afternoon doing dress-up with her cousins.
collocation: do / play dress-up
Romi's son loves dress-up — last week he was a firefighter, and today he is a dinosaur.
The toy shop sells dress-up sets with capes, masks, and plastic swords.
On rainy days the twins would play dress-up in their grandmother's old silk scarves and jewellery.
- costume play
more specific; refers to acting in character, not just wearing the clothes
- make-believe
broader; includes imaginary scenarios without costumes
- role-play
more structured; often used in classroom or therapy settings
文法句型
play dress-up
a dress-up game / set / box
用法筆記
Used mostly in the context of children's imaginative play. The hyphenated noun 'dress-up' is different from the two-word verb phrase 'dress up' (to put on formal clothes). Can be uncountable ('they love dress-up') or countable ('a fun dress-up').
常見錯誤
dress-up — phrasal verb
1. To put on smarter or more formal clothing than what you normally wear, typically
To put on smarter or more formal clothing than what you normally wear, typically for a wedding, a party, a job interview, a dinner at a nice restaurant, or another event where a polished appearance is expected.
All the guests dressed up for the wedding in suits and long gowns.
dress up + for [occasion]
We do not need to dress up — it is just a casual barbecue in the park.
negative: don't need to / don't have to dress up
Megan always dresses up when she goes to the theatre in the city.
You should dress up a little for the interview — first impressions matter.
Ravindra dressed up in a dark suit and a red silk tie for the ceremony.
- put on formal attire
more formal and literal; describes the action without the idiomatic flavour
- smarten up
British; suggests making one's existing clothes neater rather than fully changing
- get dolled up
informal; used especially for women wearing makeup and glamorous clothes
- dress down
to wear very casual clothes, sometimes allowed at work on a designated day
文法句型
dress up for [occasion]
dress up in [clothing]
dress up as [person/role] (formal)
用法筆記
Opposite: 'dress down' (to wear casual clothes). Frequently appears in the continuous form: 'they are getting dressed up.' Can also be used in commands: 'Dress up — it is a fancy restaurant.'
常見錯誤
2. To put on a costume or unusual clothing in order to pretend you are someone or s
To put on a costume or unusual clothing in order to pretend you are someone or something else, done for fun at Halloween, fancy-dress parties, school plays, or carnival celebrations.
The children dressed up as pirates and searched the backyard for treasure.
dress up as [character/role]
For Halloween, Chidi dressed up as a friendly ghost using a white sheet with eye holes.
The actors dressed up in heavy eighteenth-century gowns for the historical play.
Yael dressed up as a doctor and spent the afternoon checking her teddy bears with a toy stethoscope.
My little brother loves to dress up in his dinosaur costume and roar at everyone.
- put on a costume
more literal; focuses on the garment rather than the pretending
- masquerade
formal or literary; can mean either to wear a disguise or to pretend falsely
- disguise oneself
implies hiding your identity, not just dressing up for fun
文法句型
dress up as [character / animal / profession]
dress up in [costume / clothing]
用法筆記
Nearly always followed by 'as' plus a character, profession, or type ('dress up as a clown'). The preposition 'in' introduces the specific clothing or fabric ('dress up in a velvet cape'). For the adult social-meaning equivalent (wearing formal clothes), see the separate sense phrasal verb/1.
常見錯誤
3. To give something a more impressive or appealing description or appearance than
To give something a more impressive or appealing description or appearance than it genuinely deserves, often by choosing flattering language or decorative details — for instance, calling an ordinary dish a 'gourmet creation' or rebranding a fee increase as a 'service adjustment.'
The report dressed up the company losses as a temporary financial adjustment.
dress up + [noun] + as + [noun]
A clever advertisement can dress up a plain cereal as a nutritious breakfast for athletes.
The politician tried to dress up the tax increase as an investment in future schools.
The Chen family dressed up the old sofa by adding new cushions and a decorative throw blanket.
Emre's speech dressed up a simple budget report as a bold vision for the company's future.
- glamorize
focuses on making something seem more exciting or attractive
- embellish
can be neutral or negative; adding true but minor details or exaggerating
- sugar-coat
informal; making bad news seem less unpleasant
- whitewash
strongly negative; hiding serious problems or crimes
- expose
to reveal the truth about something that was dressed up
- strip down
to remove decorative additions and show the plain facts
文法句型
dress up + [noun] + as + [noun]
dress up + [noun] + to-infinitive
be dressed up as/like [something]
用法筆記
Has a mildly negative connotation — it suggests the presentation is misleading or hides the truth. Compare 'embellish' (add decorative details, not necessarily dishonest) and 'sugar-coat' (make unpleasant news easier to hear). The physical-improvement sense ('dress up a room with flowers') is less negative.
常見錯誤
dress-up — verb
1. To put someone, especially a child or someone who cannot dress themselves, into
To put someone, especially a child or someone who cannot dress themselves, into their finest or most formal clothing for a special occasion such as a wedding, a school concert, or a holiday gathering.
João dressed up his little niece in a white dress for her first piano recital.
dress up + person + in + clothing
Anya dressed up her son in a bow tie and a tiny jacket for the family photo.
The hotel staff dressed up the ballroom with gold tablecloths and crystal chandeliers.
The children were all dressed up in new clothes for the New Year's celebration.
Stefan dressed up the garden with fairy lights and paper lanterns for the party.
- strip down
to remove formal or decorative elements
- dress down
to make someone wear casual clothes instead of formal ones
文法句型
dress + [person] + up
dress up + [person]
dress + [place/thing] + up
be dressed up
用法筆記
Distinguish from the intransitive phrasal verb 'dress up' (sense phrasal verb/1), where the subject dresses themselves. In this verb sense, the subject acts on someone or something else. The object can be a person ('dress the children up') or a physical space/thing ('dress up the room').
常見錯誤
2. To put someone in clothing that matches a specific character, job, animal, or ti
To put someone in clothing that matches a specific character, job, animal, or time period, often for a party, a school play, Halloween, or a themed celebration.
The teacher dressed up the children as farm animals for the school play.
dress up + person + as + role
Iker dressed up his little brother as a robot using cardboard boxes and aluminium foil.
The museum guide was dressed up in colonial clothing to show visitors how people lived in the 1700s.
For the themed party the host dressed up every guest as a character from the 1920s.
Putri dressed up her daughter as a bumblebee with yellow and black striped tights.
文法句型
dress + [person] + up + as + [role]
dress + [person] + up + in + [costume]
be dressed up as [character]
用法筆記
The preposition 'as' introduces the role or character being portrayed ('as a princess'), while 'in' introduces the specific clothing ('in a velvet cape'). The passive form ('the children were dressed up as pirates') is very common. For the intransitive equivalent (dressing oneself in a costume), see phrasal verb/2.
常見錯誤
3. To change the appearance, description, or packaging of something so that it look
To change the appearance, description, or packaging of something so that it looks or sounds better, more exciting, or more valuable than it really is, often in a way that is slightly dishonest.
The chef dressed up a simple vegetable soup by adding edible flowers and gold leaf.
Real estate agents often dress up a dark apartment with mirrors to make it feel larger.
The restaurant dressed up ordinary pasta by giving it a French name on the menu.
Big companies dress up their old products as new inventions with fresh labels and higher prices.
Layla dressed up her short story with fancy vocabulary to impress her teacher.
文法句型
dress + [noun] + up
dress up + [noun]
dress + [noun] + up + as + [noun]
用法筆記
Overlaps partially with phrasal verb/3 (MAKE SEEM BETTER). The difference is subtle: this verb sense can include physical decorating (adding flowers, mirrors) whereas the phrasal verb sense is almost entirely about abstract presentation (language, labels, framing). Both can carry a critical tone.