to clothe

Examples

• All

• Ah, children, how numerous are the enemies of the imagination and in what guises of piety they clothe themselves!

  Fiction book (2000)

• I wanted to clothe myself in my songs, wrap myself in a sheath of pure sound.

  Fiction book (1996)

• "May the Lord clothe you in a new life," St. Ed said.

  Fiction book (1993)

• We fear judgment and we clothe ourselves in it.

  Blog text (31)

• We cannot "clothe ourselves with the new self" simply by deciding to do so, or by trying harder than before.

  Blog text (7)

• We go with the knowledge that God is already there, and we simply show up and clothe ourselves with Him (Galatians 3:27).

  Blog text (9)

• The Obama mystique convinced just enough voters that Obama's style would clothe his rhetoric with materiality.

  Blog text (33)

• We see poets and novelists, speculators on the human condition, trying to clothe their speculations in scientific-seeming clothing.

  Blog text (26)

• Perhaps this is why, century after century, we common readers go on clinging to the spiritualizing mentors of traditional faith, who clothe in comforting theologies this God-wrestling and comfortless book.

  Academic text (1998)

• "The ceremony will clothe the new leader in traditional robes, symbolizing his authority over the people."

Synonyms

I

to invest

vsto clothe

• Formal

85 6.2

To give someone official power or a job, often in a ceremony

is used with more symbolic wording rather than literal ceremony

E

to endow

vsto clothe

• Formal

34 4.9

To give someone a particular quality or ability

is more ceremonial and focuses on authority rather than simple provision

A

to anoint

vsto clothe

• Formal

27 7.2

To officially choose someone for a job, often as a sign that they have power

is more secular and symbolic rather than religiously endorsed

E

to enthrone

vsto clothe

• Formal

7.5

To give someone a high position of power in a formal ceremony, like making them a king or queen

is broader, applying to various kinds of formal authority, not only royal

I

to indue

vsto clothe

• Archaic

9.9

To give someone a quality or ability

is used in formal symbolic transfers of authority rather than ordinary provision

Antonyms

D

to deprive

198 3.2

To take something important away from someone or stop them having it

D

to disempower

6 6.8

To make someone have less power or confidence to control their own life

Phrasal Verbs

C

to clothe oneself in layers

3.5

To wear several layers of clothing to keep warm

How Empowered

to crown

• Formal

62 5.1

to clothe

• Formal

1 7.0

to empower

157 4.2

to appoint

• Formal

580 3.2

to nominate

461 3.4

Surface Forms

Etymology