to dress up
12
2.9
- phrasal verb
- /drɛs ʌp/
:
maquillar
- Her opinion columns are embarrassing examples of smug Canadian snobbery dressed up as conservatism.
- simply dressed up
- tries to dress up
- way to dress up
And no matter how you dress that up, it's going to look bad.
- And no matter how you dress that up, it's going to look bad.
- Conspiracy theories are that second kind of sentence dressed up as the first one.
- So awkwardness, I think it dresses up as different things.
- So in reality, all this is, is a dressed up lead generation service.
- But something isn't love, it's often fear dressed up as connection.
- And I'm not trying to dress this shit up.
Examples
-
We, as a modern world, tend to dress up age-old issues in the finery of modern understanding.
Blog text (26) -
That is just censorship dressed up as morality.
-
And no matter how you dress that up, it's going to look bad.
-
Sex sells, especially when it is dressed up to look like something else.
Blog text (33) -
But something isn't love, it's often fear dressed up as connection.
-
Anything and everything can be dressed up with good olive oil and fresh herbs.
Blog text (28) -
Most of these kids dress up the facts with fantasies, imaginary friends, storytelling.
-
And that's what the critics are frightened of, a disease dressed up in the guise of a lifestyle.
Blog text (4) -
He tried to dress up his lack of experience as a strength during the interview.
-
The politician's speech was just a way to dress up his controversial policies.
Synonyms
96
3.0
To make food, hair or a place look attractive by adding small items
56
3.4
Make something look nicer or more attractive for a special event
23
6.7
Make something seem more attractive and ideal than it really is
12
5.8
To make someone or something look more attractive and exciting than they really are
9
4.3
Make something seem more important or impressive than it is
8
8.7
Make something or someone look fancier by adding decorations
6
4.3
Make people and places look nicer by dressing up, adding decorations, or using makeup
5
8.6
To dress or decorate in a fancy way to look nicer
3
4.6
Neat and attractive, often dressed or decorated for a special occasion
1
6.8
Make yourself or someone more stylish using clothes and makeup
1
7.4
To make something like a car or outfit look very fancy by adding bright decorations
1
8.9
To make something or someone look bright and showy to attract attention
1
6.3
Make something seem more attractive than it really is
To make something look better than it is to trick people
To make someone or something look fancier to impress people
Dress yourself or others in fancy clothes to look impressive
To put on special clothes to look nice for an event
To make a person or thing look fancy, often in a showy way
Make something look more stylish and attractive
To dress someone or make them act in a showy, fashionable way
Antonyms
How Presentable
4
6.8
22
6.5
12
2.9
- Informal
13
3.8
8
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to make something seem more attractive' is a clear metaphorical extension of 'dress' (to clothe or adorn) plus the intensifying particle 'up', so a learner who knows the parts can plausibly infer the basic idea. However, the evaluative/deceptive nuance ('superficial or misleading') is not fully predictable from the constituents and may require prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Dress up comes from the image of putting fancy clothes or make-up on something to hide its plain look, like dressing a simple object to make it seem better. That's why it can mean 'to make something seem more attractive, impressive, or appealing than it really is'.