dress up

To wear smarter or more special clothes than usual.

• We like to dress up.
• He dressed up for their anniversary dinner.
• Do I need to dress up tonight?

How to use it: dress up for something (We dressed up for the wedding.)

Similar words: dress smartly

Opposites: dress down

Common phrases: dress up smartly, dress up for dinner

To wear clothes that make you look like a character or another person.

• I want to dress up as a pirate.
• The children dressed up as animals.
• Who are you dressing up as this year?

How to use it: dress up as someone/something (She dressed up as a witch.)

Similar words: wear a costume

Common phrases: dress up as someone, dress up as pirates

To put clothes on someone so they look like a character or another person.

• We dressed up the baby as a bear.
• She dressed her dog up as a superhero.
• Who dressed you up as a clown?

How to use it: dress someone up as someone/something (They dressed their son up as a king.)

Similar words: put a costume on

Common phrases: dress up someone, dress up the baby

To describe or present something so it seems better than it really is.

• They dressed up a weak proposal.
• The report dresses up failure as progress.
• You cannot dress it up as a success.

How to use it: dress something up as something (They dressed the cuts up as a new opportunity.)

Similar words: put a positive spin on, sugarcoat

Common phrases: dress up something, dress up a failure

To add attractive details to something to improve how it looks.

• Flowers can dress up a plain table.
• They dressed up the entrance with coloured lights.
• Try dressing it up with a bright ribbon.

How to use it: dress something up with something (We dressed the table up with fresh flowers.)

Similar words: decorate, brighten up

Common phrases: dress up something, dress up a room