dress down

IPA/ˌdresˈdaʊn/
IPA/ˌdresˈdaʊn/

dress down — 片語動詞

  • dress downbase form
  • dresses down3rd person singular
  • dressing down-ing form
  • dressed downpast simple

1. To put on everyday, relaxed clothes instead of the formal business attire that a

1.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

穿便服

穿著比平常休閒的服裝

To put on everyday, relaxed clothes instead of the formal business attire that a workplace or occasion normally expects.

例句

Joshua dressed down for the team barbecue, swapping his tie for a polo shirt.

Joshua 穿便服參加團隊烤肉,把領帶換成了 Polo 衫。

dress down + for + occasion

After the air conditioning broke, the whole office was told to dress down.

冷氣壞掉之後,整個辦公室的人都被要求穿便服上班。

同義詞
  • dress casually

    more general; does not imply a change away from formal wear

  • dress informally

    slightly more formal register; often used in written dress-code notices

反義詞
  • dress up

    to wear more formal or elegant clothes for a special occasion

  • dress formally

    to wear business suits or evening attire as expected

文法句型

dress down

dress down + for + event

dress down + on + day

用法筆記

This sense is always intransitive — it never takes an object naming the clothes themselves. The occasion, reason, or time period can be added after 'for', 'on', or 'during'. Distinguish from sense 2 (reprimand), which is always transitive and takes a person as its object.

常見錯誤

I dressed down my suit for the party.
I dressed down for the party and left my suit at home.
💡'dress down' in this sense does not take a direct object for the clothing.
She dressed down herself for the picnic.
She dressed down for the picnic.
💡This sense is intransitive; no reflexive pronoun is used.

2. To speak to someone in a very angry and critical way because they have made a mi

2.片語動詞及物C1
釋義

斥責

以嚴厲言詞批評某人的過錯

To speak to someone in a very angry and critical way because they have made a mistake or behaved badly, especially in a work or military setting.

例句

Eitan dressed the sales team down for missing the quarterly target by a wide margin.

Eitan 因為銷售團隊的季度業績落後太多而嚴厲斥責了他們。

dress + noun group + down — separable

Feng was dressed down by the head chef for serving cold soup to a guest.

Feng 因為把冷湯端給客人而被主廚狠狠訓了一頓。

passive: be dressed down + by + agent

同義詞
  • reprimand

    more formal; used in official written warnings and records

  • tell off

    similar informal register; more common in British English

  • scold

    softer in tone; often used with children or in family settings

  • chew out

    more intense and informal; typical of American English

反義詞
  • praise

    to express warm approval

  • compliment

    to express admiration or approval, often more personal

文法句型

dress + somebody + down

dress down + somebody

be dressed down + by + somebody

用法筆記

This phrasal verb is separable. When the object is a pronoun (him, her, them), it must sit between 'dress' and 'down.' When the object is a full noun, either order is acceptable. Frequently appears in passive constructions ('was dressed down by').

常見錯誤

The boss dressed down to the employee.
The boss dressed the employee down.
💡The person being criticized is the direct object, not a prepositional object.
I dressed down him for being late.
I dressed him down for being late.
💡Pronouns must go between 'dress' and 'down.'

dress down — 形容詞

dress down — 名詞