as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
dressed down for boorish behavior at the dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dressed down
Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Yet, they can still be dressed down with a tank top or T-shirt.
—Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressed down
Verb
-
Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Lox's reaction to being scolded.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While fake goods have exchanged hands in informal markets since ancient times, the growth of online marketplaces has contributed to the rise in counterfeits because of how easy online shopping and selling have become.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Humberto Leon, of Opening Ceremony, acted as something of a business mentor; Jennifer Sabel, a casting director and longtime friend, provided sporadic, informal investments—a couple thousand dollars here and there, with no strings attached.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Vance lectured Zelenskyy and argued the wartime leader hadn’t shown proper gratitude for the billions of dollars in military assistance the United States has given to his country.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
-
We weren’t being lectured to anymore.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
From tights to toothbrushes, these brands exemplify how renewable resources and circular systems can transform everyday essentials.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
By extending this concept to a nanoscale particle, the Tokyo team has created a new platform to explore how quantum laws apply at scales larger than atoms but still far smaller than everyday objects.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The college was being reprimanded amid allegations of antisemitism on campus and activism led in part by Mahmoud Khalil, a foreign student organizing against Israel’s war in Gaza.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Tensions are high on campuses after the assassination, with some professors getting fired or reprimanded for celebrations of the conservative commentator’s death.—
Lexi Lonas Cochran,
The Hill,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Streaming platforms have blurred the line between prestige drama and casual binge.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Ranging in sizes 4 Petite to 24 Plus, this casual yet classy dress features button cuff sleeves, a flattering tie closure, and over a dozen colors to choose from.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stokes apparently called down to Bell, who answered.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
During that interview, Luchin, a distinguished Italian chef known for his expertise in regional cuisine and the former owner of Ottavio restaurant in Walnut Creek, blamed financial struggles after his establishment closed in 2016.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
According to Altman, the most difficult issue the company is grappling with recently is how ChatGPT approaches suicide, in light of a lawsuit from a family who blamed the chatbot for their teenage son's suicide.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dressed down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressed%20down. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share