dress down phrasal verb ( see also ↑ dress )
1 . to wear clothes that are more informal than the ones you would usually wear:
In many offices, people dress down on Fridays.
2 . dress somebody ↔ down to speak angrily to someone about something they have done wrong
⇨ ↑ dressing-down
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THESAURUS
■ to put on clothes
▪ get dressed to put on all your clothes:
You’d better get dressed! It’s almost time to leave for school!
▪ dress especially literary to put on all your clothes. Dress is used especially in literature. In everyday English, people usually say get dressed :
That day she dressed with extra care, choosing a brown velvet jacket that matched her skirt.
▪ put something on to put on a particular piece of clothing, jewellery etc:
Wait – I just have to put my shoes on!
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She was putting on her earrings in front of the mirror.
▪ dress up to put on more formal clothes than you usually wear, or to put on special clothes for fun:
We always used to dress up to go to church.
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Paul dressed up as a pirate for the party.
▪ dress yourself to put on your clothes – used when this is difficult for someone because they are very old, young, injured etc:
He’s hurt his arm so badly that he can’t dress himself.
■ to be wearing clothes
▪ wear to have a particular piece of clothing or a particular style of clothing on your body:
All visitors must wear a protective helmet.
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She always wears black.
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Can you tell me what the man was wearing?
▪ have something on to be wearing a particular piece of clothing, jewellery etc. Have something on is more informal than wear :
I had my new blue top on.
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He had on a red tie and a grey jacket.
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The boy had nothing on!
▪ be dressed in something especially written used especially in written descriptions when describing the clothes that someone is wearing:
Alistair was dressed in his best suit and tie.