dressing 1 of 2

noun

ˈdre-siŋ How to pronounce dressing (audio)
Definition of dressingnext
1
as in plaster
a medicated covering used to heal an injury nurses put a dressing over his cuts so they wouldn't get infected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in sauce
a savory fluid food used as a topping or accompaniment to a main dish tangy salad dressing that wasn't overloaded with corn syrup

Synonyms & Similar Words

dressing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dress
1
as in bandaging
to cover with a bandage first wash and then dress the wound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decorating
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in polishing
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in growing
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care dress the beans by applying fertilizer once a week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dressing
Noun
Or a basic side salad can be replaced with Chinese spinach salad, an addictive appetizer made using blanched Taiwanese spinach, vinegary dressing and peanuts. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 The cast has explored method dressing while promoting the film, with Williams’ latest look offering a prime example. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
Her second cover, for the July 1989 issue, shows her with wet hair in a white dressing robe, in a photograph taken by Herb Ritts. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Divide and brush the remaining 1/4 cup dressing on the bottom halves of the buns. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dressing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing
  1. plaster
  2. sauce
  3. bandaging
  4. decorating
  5. polishing
  6. clothing
  7. costuming
  8. growing
Noun
  • Smooth plaster tunnels extending from the gallery edges lead you, like portals to another world, to three respite-providing viewing points.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What if someone spilled a drink on the wood floors, or bumped against the plaster molding?
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plaster
Noun
  • My sauce has a nice vinegar tang, a little bit of sweet, and a little bit of smoky flavor, followed by a really nice peppery finish.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The only dessert option at Hurly-Burly is the mini apple cider doughnuts served with a sweet-and-salty miso-caramel sauce.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sauce
Verb
  • In theory, these shocks are supposed to fade, and the greater good is served by merely bandaging the complaints of lower-income groups until the headline metrics herald an apparent return to normalcy.
    — Gene Ludwig, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
  • After bandaging the bleeding leg Saturday, Bichette woke up sore Sunday, Schneider said.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of bandaging
Verb
  • The Mississippi mom of three started the business after decorating her own daughter’s dorm room at Mississippi State in 2020 and posting photos on Facebook.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • After moving out, everything went into storage, but Nunez’s decorating ambitions didn’t end with freshman year.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of decorating
Verb
  • Some jobs that previously relied on hand craftsmanship but can now be automated made the top 10, including patternmakers and grinding and polishing workers.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has spent the last decade successfully polishing its image without becoming a major global name.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • Not feeding the hungry, not tending to the sick, not clothing the naked, not welcoming the refugee.
    — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • This is like inviting a homeless person into your home, sheltering them, feeding them, clothing them, educating them, and having that person's confidant leak that the newly comfortable person doesn't think less of you.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Definition of clothing
Verb
  • Sergio and Liz were both members of the 501st Legion, a charity and costuming group celebrating Star Wars.
    — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Sessa is an attractive young man with Tony's impossibly lean physique, who looks good in every single piece of 1975-era costuming.
    — Laurie Woolever, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of costuming
Verb
  • Semiconductor investment expected to climb China’s semiconductor capital expenditure is expected to continue growing at double-digit annual rates through the end of the decade, reaching $82 billion in 2030, according to Goldman.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the chief executive said Hilton's middle- and upper-middle segments have swung from posting negative numbers to growing at rates as high as 6%.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of growing

Phrases Containing dressing

Browse Nearby Words

dresses up
dressing
dressing-down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All