evening dress
7
3.4
- noun
- /ˈiːv.nɪŋ drɛs/
:
vestido de noche
- And I have a lovely evening dress with yards of skirt and way off the shoulder.
- a black evening dress
- wore an evening dress
- silk evening dresses
I think it's a great little day dress, evening dress.
- I think it's a great little day dress, evening dress.
Examples
-
For Romy, there is an evening dress of pale sage crushed velvet.
Fiction book (1997) -
And the ladies in beautiful evening dresses!
-
Wearing this evening dress, you will become the focus as well as a star.
Blog text (13) -
Several people were in evening dress.
Fiction book (1997) -
She's wearing an evening dress, sir.
-
"Tomorrow night he is taking me to a very fashionable charity ball, "and I have an evening dress just for the occasion.
-
Vivian comes out of the bedroom into the living room wearing an elegant red sequined evening dress.
Fiction book (1990) -
Mrs. Lockhart, who had changed into a low-cut black evening dress, had declined refreshment.
Fiction book (1999) -
The man, Xander, wore evening dress, a tuxedo, and a silk shirt with a tunic collar.
Fiction book (1998) -
She arrived at the gala wearing a stunning evening dress that caught everyone's attention.
Synonyms
192
2.5
A long formal robe like those worn at graduations or in court
26
1.0
A dress that is black and often worn for formal or special occasions
12
2.7
A long formal dress that women wear to evening parties or special events
11
3.3
A short elegant dress for women to wear at evening events
8
3.5
A long formal dress worn by women to very special events like balls
7
3.3
A simple black dress to wear to many events like a party or dinner
1
4.1
A long elegant dress that women wear to formal dances
1
2.7
A formal, stylish dress worn for special events
A formal dress a woman wears to a ball or gala
A formal dress worn to evening events, especially dinners
A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a formal dress worn for evening events' is directly derivable from combining 'evening' (the time of day/events then) with 'dress' (a garment), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a dress for the evening. This time + noun compound is a common, compositional pattern across languages, making the expression immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Evening dress comes from the simple idea of a dress worn in the evening, when people put on fancier clothes for night events. That's why it means 'a formal dress for evening social events'.