dresses
dresses — verb
- dressespresent simple I / you / we / they
- dresseses3rd person singular
- dressesing-ing form
- dressesedpast simple
1. to cover your body or another person's body with items of clothing such as a shi
to cover your body or another person's body with items of clothing such as a shirt, trousers, or a dress
Kwame dresses quickly every morning so he does not miss the school bus.
intransitive: dress + adverb of manner
Allison dresses her twins in matching shirts before they go to the park.
transitive: dress + person + in + clothes
After his bath, Lukas can dress himself without any help from Mum.
The little girl sat still while her father dressed her in a warm winter coat.
Nora always dresses in bright colours that make her easy to spot in a crowd.
- get dressed
less formal; focuses on the process of putting on your own clothes
- clothe
more formal or literary; often used for providing someone with clothes generally, not a single act
- undress
to remove clothes from yourself or someone else
文法句型
dress + person (put clothes on someone)
dress + reflexive pronoun
dress (no object)
用法筆記
This is the most basic sense of dress. It is used both when you put clothes on yourself (intransitive) and when you put clothes on another person, especially a child (transitive). The reflexive form dress oneself is common with young children learning this skill.
常見錯誤
2. to choose and wear clothes of a particular style or type that creates a certain
to choose and wear clothes of a particular style or type that creates a certain image or suits a specific situation
Meera dresses very formally for work because her office has a strict dress code.
intransitive: dress + adverb + for + situation
Renata likes to dress her daughter in traditional clothes when they attend cultural festivals.
transitive: dress someone + in + type of clothes
All the dancers on stage dressed in white for the opening night of the show.
Aylin dresses casually on weekends and usually wears jeans with a soft jumper.
Yan dresses his children in bright jackets so he can spot them easily in the street.
- wear
less specific; simply means having clothes on your body rather than choosing a style
文法句型
dress + adverb (dress formally)
dress + in + clothes
dress someone + in + clothes
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the choice of clothing style rather than the basic act of putting clothes on. Common adverbs include formally, casually, smartly, neatly, and conservatively.
常見錯誤
3. to wear elegant clothes because the place or event you are eating at requires a
to wear elegant clothes because the place or event you are eating at requires a higher standard of dressing than everyday wear
Guests at the mountain hotel are expected to dress for dinner every evening.
passive: be expected to dress for + meal
The Watanabe family always dress for the meal during the New Year holiday.
The cruise ship asks passengers to dress for the captain's dinner on Friday night.
Matthew felt strange having to dress for dinner every night during his holiday.
At the fancy restaurant, even young children dress for dinner in small suits and dresses.
文法句型
dress for + meal / occasion
用法筆記
This sense is tied to a specific social custom — wearing formal clothes to eat a meal, especially dinner. It is most often used in the phrases dress for dinner and dress for the meal. Distinguish from sense 8 (chunk b2), which means to put on formal clothes generally, without the meal context.
常見錯誤
4. to pour a sauce made from oil, vinegar, and other ingredients over a salad or ra
to pour a sauce made from oil, vinegar, and other ingredients over a salad or raw vegetables to give them more taste
Kwame dressed the green salad with olive oil and lemon juice before serving.
transitive: dress + salad + with + ingredient
The chef dressed each plate of fresh greens just before the waiter took them.
Dress the salad just before you eat it so the leaves stay crisp.
Adina likes to dress her salad with a simple mixture of vinegar and herbs.
Nora watched her grandmother dress the cabbage salad with oil, vinegar, and spices.
- toss
implies mixing the salad with dressing, not just adding it
文法句型
dress + salad/vegetables + with + ingredient
用法筆記
This sense is specific to cooking. The noun dressing (salad dressing) is much more common in everyday conversation. Do not confuse with sense 6 (treat a wound), which uses the same verb for a completely different action.
常見錯誤
5. to clean a dead bird, fish, or animal by removing its feathers, skin, or inner o
to clean a dead bird, fish, or animal by removing its feathers, skin, or inner organs so that it is ready to be cooked
The skilled butcher dressed the chicken by removing the feathers and inner parts.
transitive: dress + animal + by + gerund phrase
Ari learned how to dress a whole salmon from his uncle during a fishing trip to the lake.
The recipe says to dress the rabbit before placing it in the hot oven.
Matthew watched the head chef dress the large turkey for the holiday dinner.
In their small village, people still dress their own chickens for Sunday lunch.
- clean
more general; can apply to any food preparation including washing vegetables
文法句型
dress + animal/bird/fish
用法筆記
This sense is specialized cooking vocabulary. The object is always the animal, bird, or fish itself, not the meat in a packaged form. Most modern learners will encounter this sense in cookbooks or traditional food contexts rather than daily conversation.
常見錯誤
6. to clean a cut, burn, or other injury on the skin and cover it with a bandage or
to clean a cut, burn, or other injury on the skin and cover it with a bandage or cloth to protect it and help it heal
The nurse dressed the deep cut on Kwame's arm with a clean cotton bandage.
transitive: dress + wound + with + bandage material
Allison carefully dressed her son's scraped knee after he fell off his bicycle.
Chinara knelt beside her younger brother in the garden and dressed the cut on his knee with a clean bandage.
The doctor dressed the burn on Lukas's hand and gave him medicine for the pain.
Renata keeps a first-aid box in her kitchen to dress small injuries at home.
- bandage
more specific — bandage usually means wrapping with a strip of cloth, while dress includes cleaning first
文法句型
dress + wound / cut / burn / injury
用法筆記
This sense is specific to medical care. A doctor, nurse, or anyone giving first aid can dress a wound. The noun form dressing is used for the bandage or cloth itself (e.g., a sterile dressing).
常見錯誤
7. to arrange products and decorations in a shop window to make an attractive displ
to arrange products and decorations in a shop window to make an attractive display that will catch people's attention.
The visual merchandiser dressed the window with summer dresses and beach accessories.
dress + window + with + products
Every Friday evening, the staff dress the shop window for the weekend shoppers.
time adverbial: every Friday evening
The new trainee learned how to dress a window using mannequins and lighting.
That boutique always dresses its windows so beautifully that people stop to take photos.
文法句型
dress + noun (window / display) + with + noun
用法筆記
The object is nearly always 'window' or 'display case.' This sense is especially common in British retail English.
常見錯誤
8. to put on clothes that are formal, elegant, or fancy for a special occasion.
to put on clothes that are formal, elegant, or fancy for a special occasion.
Guests are expected to dress for the charity gala at the Grand Hotel.
passive: be expected to dress + for + occasion
Nia dressed in her finest silk gown for the awards ceremony.
dress + in + noun (clothing) + for + occasion
Meera's wedding invitation stated that all guests should dress in formal attire for the evening ceremony at the cathedral.
Mayumi dressed elegantly for her brother's wedding at the cathedral.
- dress up
phrasal verb; slightly more informal than 'dress' used alone
- dress down
to wear casual or informal clothes
文法句型
dress + for + occasion
dress + in + noun (clothing)
用法筆記
This sense is intransitive — you 'dress' (not 'dress yourself'). Distinguish from sense 1 (PUT ON CLOTHES), which is about putting on any clothing, and from sense 3 (DRESS FOR A MEAL), which specifically involves a meal context.
常見錯誤
9. to add decorative items, ornaments, or details to something to make it look more
to add decorative items, ornaments, or details to something to make it look more attractive — for example, a cake, a room, or a piece of furniture.
The children dressed the Christmas tree with colourful lights and glass baubles.
dress + noun (tree) + with + decorations
Anjali dressed the plain white cake with fresh flowers and chocolate curls.
The street was dressed with flags and banners for the festival.
Henrik dressed the wall of his apartment with framed photographs and paintings.
- strip
to remove decorations
文法句型
dress + noun + with + noun
用法筆記
The object can be a physical item such as food, furniture, a room, or an outdoor space. The pattern is typically 'dress + object + with + decorative item.'
常見錯誤
dresses — noun
- dressessingular
- dressesesplural
1. a woman's or girl's garment cut in one piece, covering the upper body and reachi
a woman's or girl's garment cut in one piece, covering the upper body and reaching some distance down toward the feet
Amara chose a long red dress for her friend's wedding party.
collocation: long red dress
The wedding dress had small white pearls sewn onto the sleeves.
Jun's little sister wore a yellow dress with a bow at the back.
Lucia folded her blue cotton dress and placed it in the suitcase.
There were rows of summer dresses hanging in the shop window.
文法句型
wear + a/an [adjective] dress
a dress + with / in [feature]
常見錯誤
2. a style or category of clothing linked to a particular occasion, activity, or cu
a style or category of clothing linked to a particular occasion, activity, or cultural setting, especially when described by an adjective like formal, casual, or national
The invitation for the garden barbecue said guests should wear casual dress for the afternoon event.
uncountable: casual dress
Many Japanese guests wear traditional national dress at Shinto wedding ceremonies.
collocation: national dress
The upscale restaurant has a formal dress code requiring jackets for men.
Light cotton dress is far more comfortable than woollen suits during the hot summer in Bangkok.
Soldiers wore full ceremonial dress during the national holiday parade.
文法句型
[adjective] + dress
evening dress / national dress / formal dress
用法筆記
Uncountable in this meaning — you say 'in formal dress' not 'in a formal dress.' Often combines with an adjective that specifies the type (evening dress, national dress, casual dress).
常見錯誤
dresses — adjective
- dressespositive
- more dressescomparative
- most dressessuperlative
1. describing clothes, shoes, or accessories that are designed for formal occasions
describing clothes, shoes, or accessories that are designed for formal occasions where smart, not everyday, clothing is expected
Owen put on a white dress shirt and a dark tie for the awards ceremony.
collocation: dress shirt
The wedding invitation stated a formal dress code, so Ravindra wore his best suit.
collocation: dress code
Marta bought two new dress shirts for her first week at the law firm.
The restaurant requires waiters to wear a dress shirt, tie, and dress trousers.
Amihan found a beautiful dress jacket on sale for the gala next weekend.
文法句型
dress + noun (always before a noun)
用法筆記
This adjective always comes directly before a noun — you say ‘a dress shirt,’ never ‘this shirt is dress.’ Typical nouns that follow include shirt, shoes, trousers, pants, jacket, suit, and code.