dress up

Verb

dress up (third-person singular simple present dresses up, present participle dressing up, simple past and past participle dressed up)

1. (intransitive) To put on special or fancy clothes.
   • Everyone dressed up for the graduation ball.
   • I want a job where I don't have to dress up.

   Synonyms:

   gussy up

   Antonyms:

   dress down

2. (intransitive, often) To put on a costume portraying oneself as a particular type of character or well-known person.
   • We're having a party on Saturday, but you must dress up as a famous historical figure.
3. (often, transitive) To put a costume on (someone) portraying them as a particular type of character or well-known person.
   • The cat hated when they dressed him up for Halloween.
4. (transitive) To decorate; to prettify.
   • Mistress, your father prays you leave your books,
     And help to dress your sister’s chamber up:
     You know to-morrow is the wedding-day.c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
5. (transitive) To present in a favorable light.
   • You can dress up that proposal however you want; it's still going to go over like a lead balloon.

   Synonyms:

   spin