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.
Rutter donned a wetsuit for his title-winning runs, but the vast majority arrive every year resplendent in an array of fancy dress. — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 And yet a long fancy dress just isn’t what many Alaskans wear on a normal day of the week. — Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026 The guests—including Kate Middleton and Peter's cousin Prince William—shielded their fancy dress with umbrellas, as the skies threatened to open. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 6 June 2026 The cute photo saw Stormi, who was wearing fancy dress, and younger brother Aire, 4, perched on a bench and smiling at the camera. — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026 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

Rhymes for fancy dress

See All Rhymes for fancy dress

Browse Nearby Words

fancy dive
fancy dress
fancy dress ball
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fancy dress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fancy%20dress. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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