dress up
phrasal verb·3 senses·particle up
Meanings
Put on smart or formal clothes
Why “up”? More of something is higher. Quantity, intensity and speed all rise.
“We dressed up for the wedding.”
“The guests dressed up for the awards dinner.”
“She loves any excuse to dress up.”
Wear a costume, often imitating someone or something
Why “up”? Rising into view. What comes up becomes present and visible.
“The kids dressed up as pirates for Halloween.”
“Mia dressed up as a nurse for the party.”
“She dressed her dog up in a tiny jumper.”
Make something look more attractive or impressive than it is
Why “up”? Something is made neater, better-looking, more impressive, or more appealing.
“He dressed up the bad results to please the board.”
“The advert dressed up the basic phone as a luxury item.”
“Don't dress it up. Just tell us the truth.”
Don't confuse with
Dress up means put on smart or formal clothes. Dress down means wear less formal clothes than usual.
Test yourself
“We dressed up for the wedding.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
dress down
A contrast learners often mix up
Wear less formal clothes than usual
back up
Same up pattern: increase
Make a digital copy of data as a safeguard; Support someone's claim, story or position; Move backward along the same path; (of traffic or water) accumulate because flow is blocked
beef up
Same up pattern: increase
Strengthen or reinforce
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
build up
Same up pattern: increase
Gradually increase in amount, strength or intensity; Develop or strengthen something over time; Make someone or something seem more important or impressive than they are; Encourage or strengthen someone emotionally; Create momentum towards a moment or event
call up
Same up pattern: appearance
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
catch up
Same up pattern: appearance
Reach the same level or position as someone ahead; Get up to date with news, work or events you have missed; (of bad behaviour or neglect) start to have unavoidable consequences; Spend time talking to a friend after a period apart
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “dress up”.
Practice “dress up” in Sink In
Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.