gussied up

verb

past tense of gussy up
as in decorated
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming gone are the days when the high school prom was held in the gym, which had been gussied up for the occasion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gussied up
  1. decorated
  2. adorned
  3. draped
Verb
  • In one photo, Duff posed on the sand holding a fresh coconut decorated with a flower, while wearing oversized sunglasses and a dark baseball cap.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Among the items back on Greek soil are black- and red-figure vessels, some with handles, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology, and would have been used in everyday life or as burial offerings.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of decorated
Verb
  • The photos Radomski shared to her Instagram page show herself donning a white, strapless gown adorned with a pink and green floral pattern.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • For some time, Ming’s cruiser sat outside the Wyandotte County Courthouse, where it was adorned with flowers and other mementos.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of adorned
Verb
  • Under constant threats from above, residents live largely in a spider’s world, with roads, sidewalks and gas stations draped in netting to entangle drones.
    — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The walls were draped with red velvet, while tables were spread with candles and garland.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of draped
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gushy
gussied up
gussies up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gussied up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gussied%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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