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to put on frills

to put on frills

7.2
To add small not needed decorations to clothes or events to make them seem fancier
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : añadir adornos
  • There's no need to put on frills with your presentation; just stick to the main points.

Examples

  • When it comes to business reports, he prefers not to put on frills and keeps things straightforward.

  • We decided to put on frills for the wedding and hired a fancy caterer.

  • Don't put on frills for the presentation.

  • She always puts on frills when decorating for parties.

  • There's no need to put on frills; just give us the facts.

  • For the anniversary celebration, they decided to put on frills with extravagant decorations.

  • When writing a report, it's better to avoid putting on frills and just focus on the data.

Synonyms

to decorate
vsto put on frills
226 1.9

To make something look nicer by adding paint, ornaments, or other items

is specifically about unnecessary embellishment to increase apparent value
to dress something up
vsto put on frills
56 3.4

Make something look nicer or more attractive for a special event

refers specifically to adding extras that are unnecessary to impress
to adorn
vsto put on frills
45 4.9

To put decorations on something to make it look more beautiful

adds such ornaments even when they are not needed
to trim
vsto put on frills
19 4.1

To add decorations to something to make it look special

refers to adding these items even when they are not necessary
to pad
vsto put on frills
19 6.5

To add extra, unnecessary details to make something seem bigger or better

narrows this idea to decorative additions that overstate appearance
to dress up
vsto put on frills
12 2.9

Make something look better than it really is

stresses needless decoration meant to create a false impression rather than real improvement
to embellish
vsto put on frills
10 6.3

To make something more beautiful by adding decorative details

implies those additions are unnecessary and aim to overstate appearance
to gussy
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
8 8.7

Make something or someone look fancier by adding decorations

uses such additions mainly to overstate rather than genuinely improve
to gussy up
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
5 8.6

To dress or decorate in a fancy way to look nicer

does this with unnecessary embellishments to seem more impressive
to tart
vsto put on frills
  • UK
4 6.9

To make something look showy to attract attention

adds such showy embellishments even when they are unnecessary
to bedeck
vsto put on frills
4 7.8

To put fancy decorations like flowers or lights on something to make it look special

suggests these decorations are unnecessary and intended to impress
to ornament
vsto put on frills
4 3.7

To add decorations to something to make it look nicer

does these additions in an unnecessary, embellishing manner
to gild the lily
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
2 8.8

To make unneeded changes to something already beautiful

is about adding unnecessary embellishment to make things seem more impressive
to trick out
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
1 7.4

To make something like a car or outfit look very fancy by adding bright decorations

carries the same act but with unnecessary, attention-seeking extras
to prank
vsto put on frills
  • Archaic
1 8.1

To dress something in showy clothes or decorations

is about doing this chiefly to add unnecessary flair
to paint the lily
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
9.9

To add decoration that is not needed to something already beautiful

focuses on unnecessary adornment that makes a good thing excess
to overegg the pudding
vsto put on frills
  • UK
9.9

To add too many details and ruin something

means adding extra ornament mainly to impress rather than to improve
putting a hat on a hat
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
9.9

Adding an extra thing to something that is already enough

describes adding extra decorative items that are not needed
to fancify
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
7.7

Make something look more attractive by adding decorations

is about doing this in a way that is unnecessary or excessive
to fancy up
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
6.5

Make something look more stylish and attractive

adds that extra style even when it is not needed
to trick up
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
7.2

To make someone or something look fancier to impress people

adds those extras even when they are not necessary
to pimpin'
vsto put on frills
  • Slang
9.9

Making a car or other object look bright and showy with extra parts

does so with unnecessary showy additions to increase visibility
to deck up
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
8.2

To put on special clothes to look nice for an event

does this with unnecessary ornamentation to seem more impressive
to fig out
vsto put on frills
  • Archaic
9.9

To dress in special clothes to look attractive

uses such dressing mainly to add unnecessary show rather than need
to fig up
vsto put on frills
  • UK
9.9

To put on fancy clothes to look good

focuses on adding extra, often unnecessary, decorative clothes or style
to lux up
vsto put on frills
  • Informal
9.4

Make something look more expensive by adding nicer things

does this with unnecessary extravagance to seem more impressive

Antonyms

99 2.5

Make something easier to understand or use

How Decorative

to put on frills
7.2
to dress up
12 2.9
to embellish
19 6.1
to adorn
45 4.9
to decorate
226 1.9

Surface Forms

put on frills infinitive
put on frills past participle
putting on frills present participle
puts on frills third person singular

Morphology

put + on + frill

The meaning is directly compositional: 'put on' denotes adding or applying and 'frills' are decorative ornaments, so together they mean 'add decorative embellishments'. This follows a common verb+particle + noun pattern found across languages and would be accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Put on frills comes from clothes: to put on extra small ribbons and ruffles called frills to make a dress or hat look fancier. That's why today it means 'to add unnecessary decorations'.