dressy
Americanadjective
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appropriate to somewhat formal occasions.
an outfit that's a little too dressy for office wear.
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showy in dress; stylish.
a rather dressy reception.
adjective
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(of clothes) elegant
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(of persons) dressing stylishly
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over-elegant
Other Word Forms
- dressily adverb
- dressiness noun
Etymology
Origin of dressy
Explanation
Something that's dressy is characterized by elegant, expensive, or fancy clothes. You look dressy when you wear a ball gown, high heels, and a tiara on your head. A person can be dressy, and you can also describe the person's outfit as dressy — if it's a tuxedo with a bow tie and cummerbund — or an event as dressy, if it requires you to wear such an outfit. A dressy wedding calls for formal clothing, so you probably shouldn't wear a fisherman's sweater and sandals. Dressy was first used in the 18th century, from dress.
Vocabulary lists containing dressy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Heading back toward Olympic, I enter David Apparel on 1019 Santee St. The menswear collection here is sporty with Gucci-esque matching outfits and dressy shirts emblazoned with lions.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
I could sense the urgency of a group of women behind me and stepped aside to let them pass; one remarked under her breath that my baseball cap wasn’t dressy enough for the occasion.
From Slate • Nov. 21, 2023
The collection, which included looks for men and women, featured slouchy trousers and dressy jackets, lightweight overcoats and cotton trousers with elastic waists.
From Reuters • Jun. 23, 2023
Maybe that’s why Christie, who also designed the costumes, has oddly given Lenk plain white sneakers to wear with her dressy scarlet pantsuit.
From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2021
Sunglasses hung from his neck on a fluorescent cable, and the couple's bright new his-and-her sneakers suggested that they might be headed somewhere dressy for dinner.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
