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Glite Dictionary
in full feather

in full feather

9.2
Wearing bright feathers or the best clothes and looking proud
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : en plena forma
  • All the guests arrived at the gala in full feather, wearing their most glamorous outfits.

Examples

  • She arrived at the party in full feather.

  • The peacocks were in full feather, showing off their brilliant tails.

  • After a restful holiday, he returned to work in full feather and full of enthusiasm.

  • The wedding was beautiful, and the guests were in full feather.

  • She arrived at the gala in full feather, wearing an elegant gown that turned heads.

  • After a rejuvenating vacation, he returned to work in full feather, full of enthusiasm.

  • The singer took to the stage in full feather, dazzling the audience with her stylish outfit.

Synonyms

with a flourish
vsin full feather
6 5.7

Do something in a showy way to get attention

is elegant and in good condition without aiming to attract attention
full-dress
vsin full feather
  • Formal
6.9

Needing formal clothes for a ceremony or event

is elegant or stylish in appearance without being specifically ceremonial

Antonyms

shabby
33 2.5

Worn and in poor condition because of long use or little care

How Stylish

in full feather
  • Archaic
9.2
well-dressed
29 2.4
casual
81 1.3
underdressed
5 4.2

Surface Forms

in full feather positive

Morphology

in + full + feather

The phrase literally combines 'full' + 'feather', which can lead a learner to infer a meaning related to 'full plumage' or conspicuous appearance, so there is a visible compositional basis. However, the extension to 'dressed very elegantly' or 'in high spirits' is a metaphorical/cultural shift and the idiomatic nuance is not fully predictable for a B1 learner, especially given the phrase's archaic/rare usage.

Etymology

The phrase in full feather comes from the image of a bird, like a peacock, showing all its bright feathers to look proud and beautiful. One simple way to see it is that a person 'in full feather' looks dressed up and confident, so the phrase now means 'dressed very elegantly' or 'in high spirits'.