Meaning of the word "dress down" in English

What does "dress down" mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

dress down

US /dres daʊn/

UK /dres daʊn/

to wear clothes that are more casual than usual

Example:

•

It's a casual Friday, so you can dress down today.

•

For the picnic, we decided to dress down and wear comfortable clothes.

Synonym:

casualize underdress

Antonym:

dress up

to reprimand or scold someone severely

Example:

•

The manager had to dress down the employee for being late repeatedly.

•

My parents used to dress me down whenever I misbehaved.

Synonym:

reprimand scold rebuke chide admonish