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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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
Back in 1954, during the filming of The Seven Year Itch, a still photographer had captured an image of Marilyn Monroe standing over a New York subway grate as steam lifted her white dress above her head. — Laurence Leamer, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 Edebiri’s look brings to mind musician Bjork’s quite literal interpretation of a swan dress at the 2001 Academy Awards; an outfit cemented in pop culture history as one of the red carpet’s most referenced, albeit campy, moments. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Both are curled in chairs in an otherwise empty room in an upscale Hyde Park Corner hotel, modestly dressed in jeans, sneakers and casual tops. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 The relationship between Chanel and film first started when Gabrielle Chanel travelled to Hollywood in 1930 to dress the leading actresses of the era and transformed them into style icons. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 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
  • Princess Rajwa was the star of the day, of course, in her breathtaking gown by Elie Saab.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Amy Adams Amy Adams opted for classic black-and-white color pairing in a Georges Chakra gown.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of gown
Noun
  • There’s also a collection of original costumes, weapons, props and production artifacts from across Villeneuve’s trilogy, including a full-scale ornithopter used in the films.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.
    — Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of costume
Noun
  • Decodo, a web data company, tracked price changes in 2025 across products ranging from electronics to clothing and home improvement supplies.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Travis Kelce reminded Chiefs fans on Sunday that one of his other day jobs is ambassador — and model — for preppy clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of clothing
Noun
  • This cutesy girl-next-door look helped to catapult Huntington-Whiteley from Teen Vogue favourite to Burberry face, bona fide lingerie designer, beauty entrepreneur and blockbuster movie star.
    — Alice Newbold, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Designers are experimenting with different fits and fabrics to give the traditional jacket a more modern look.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of look
Adjective
  • That year, after Israeli officials castigated Qatar for allegedly financing Hamas, the Qataris began demanding formal documentation of an arrangement the two governments had agreed was meant to provide relief to citizens of the beleaguered enclave.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • With some formal firefighter training and background checks, volunteers commit to following fire officials’ orders, helping residents evacuate and putting out spot fires, while leaving the ferocious front-line flames to the professionals.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 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
  • After the last one is opened, use the set to bake cookies for Santa and decorate them on Christmas Eve, then take the extras along to your holiday gathering.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rooms There are 93 rooms and suites—including two penthouses—decorated with plenty of personality.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of decorate
Verb
  • The asymmetrical hemline of the sweater is right on trend and makes the whole look feel much more intentional, while the slouchy silhouette still looks polished enough for a coffee run after landing.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 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 22 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dress

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