1 A2 informal
To wear informal or casual clothes, often when one might be expected to dress more smartly.
"Fridays are when we get to dress down at the office — I usually wear jeans."
inseparable
dress down
B1 informal mixed transitive/intransitive
To wear informal clothes, or to scold or reprimand someone severely.
In plain English
To wear casual clothes instead of smart ones, or to tell someone off in a serious way.
What does "dress down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To reprimand or scold someone severely, usually in a position of authority.
"The general dressed down the officer in front of the entire platoon."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To dress in a lower (more casual) style.
Actually means
To wear casual clothes instead of smart ones, or to tell someone off in a serious way.
Usage tip
The clothing sense is now very common due to 'dress-down Friday' (a day when offices allow casual dress). The reprimand sense is slightly formal and often used in a workplace or military context. Both senses are widely used in British and American English.
Words that pair with "dress down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
Friday casually jeans employee soldier formally
How to conjugate "dress down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dress down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dresses down
he/she/it
Past simple
dressed down
yesterday
Past participle
dressed down
have + pp
-ing form
dressing down
continuous
Hear "dress down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dress down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.