dressed to kill
1
6.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
vestido para impresionar
- At the gala, she arrived dressed to kill, captivating everyone with her stunning outfit.
Examples
-
Lara dressed to kill.
Fiction book (1998) -
For the wedding, she was dressed to kill, wearing a beautiful, eye-catching gown.
-
You dressed to kill, huh?
-
Standing there, dressed to kill, is the Cable Guy.
Fiction book (1996) -
If you don't mind me saying, you look dressed to kill tonight.
-
The Furriers: Always dressed to kill.
-
# She's dressed to kill
-
A photograph from that time shows me hard-eyed, bleak-mouthed, fully armed with ambition, dressed to kill.
Fiction book (1998) -
Mercedes, dressed to kill, stands waiting next to Hollis with a huge pair of scissors in her hand.
Fiction book (1996) -
He walked into the party dressed to kill, and all eyes were on him.
Synonyms
82
2.7
Wearing special formal clothes for a party or event
51
2.9
Like what is fashionable now
29
2.4
Wearing neat, clean clothes that look smart, like a suit or nice shirt
7
6.9
Dressed in fancy clothes and makeup for a special event
3
4.6
Neat and attractive, often dressed or decorated for a special occasion
3
7.6
Wearing very elegant formal clothes for a special occasion
1
5.4
Wearing special or formal clothes
1
5.6
Wearing smart, attractive clothes so other people notice you
1
7.4
Dressed in nice clothes or made to look neat and attractive
1
6.3
Dressed in smart, formal clothes for a special event
Wearing stylish, elegant clothes
Wearing smart clothes for a special event
A person who wears smart, fashionable clothes like a stylish city person
Dressed or acting in a showy, very fashionable way
Wearing fine clothes for a special event
To be dressed in fine or special clothes
Antonyms
How Impressive
- Informal
1
6.8
- Informal
1
5.6
29
2.4
127
2.4
81
1.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
dressed + to + kill
The expression uses a hyperbolic metaphor: 'dressed' (wearing clothes) combined with 'to kill' (literally to cause death) does not yield a literal meaning, but the violent verb functions as an intensifier meaning 'stunning' or 'extremely attractive'. The connection is partial and somewhat predictable from metaphorical use of 'kill' as strong effect, but the exact sense 'dressed to attract admiration/notice' is not fully derivable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Dressed to kill may come from the strong image of someone dressed so beautifully they kill people with their looks, meaning 'to stun or overwhelm' others. That's why it now means 'wearing very fashionable clothes to attract attention'.