dressed

dressed — adjective

1. having put your clothes on so that you are ready to be seen by other people, ins

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

having put your clothes on so that you are ready to be seen by other people, instead of being naked or still in pyjamas.

Example

Zayd was already dressed and waiting at the door before his sister woke up.

be dressed: ready to leave

Please get dressed quickly — the school bus will be here in five minutes.

get dressed: action of putting clothes on

Common collocations
  • fully dressed
  • half dressed
  • still dressed
  • get dressed
  • be dressed
Synonyms
  • clothed

    more formal; often used in medical or legal contexts.

  • attired

    very formal and old-fashioned; usually with a description of the clothes.

Antonyms
  • naked

    wearing no clothes at all.

  • undressed

    having taken off your clothes, or never having put any on yet.

Grammar Patterns

be/get dressed

fully dressed

half dressed

Usage Note

Almost always used after the verb 'be' or 'get'. 'Be dressed' describes the result (you have clothes on); 'get dressed' describes the action (you are putting clothes on). Combine with 'fully', 'half', 'partly', or 'still' to say how complete the dressing is.

Common Mistakes

I dressed in five minutes this morning.
I got dressed in five minutes this morning.
for the action of putting on clothes, English uses 'get dressed', not 'dressed' alone.

2. having clothes on that match a certain colour, style, or costume — used to say h

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

having clothes on that match a certain colour, style, or costume — used to say how a person looks, e.g. 'in black', 'as a witch', 'smartly', or 'casually'.

Example

The waiter was dressed in a long white apron and a black bow tie.

dressed in + clothing description

Noa came to the Halloween party dressed as a vampire with red contact lenses.

dressed as + character

Common collocations
  • smartly dressed
  • well dressed
  • casually dressed
  • badly dressed
  • dressed in black
  • dressed as a [role]
Synonyms
  • clad

    literary or formal; often in compound forms like 'leather-clad'.

  • attired

    very formal; usually with a description of the clothes.

  • outfitted

    implies someone provided the whole set of clothes, often for a job or trip.

Grammar Patterns

dressed in + clothing/colour

dressed as + character/role

well dressed

smartly dressed

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always tells you WHAT the person is wearing (a style, colour, or costume). Almost always followed by 'in' (for clothes/colours) or 'as' (for a costume role). Adverbs like 'well', 'smartly', 'casually', 'badly' often appear before 'dressed'.

Common Mistakes

She was dressed with a red dress.
She was dressed in a red dress.
use 'in', not 'with', to say what someone is wearing.
He came dressed like a pirate.' is OK in speech, but
He came dressed as a pirate.
'as' is the standard preposition for costumes.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four describe someone wearing clothes, but they differ sharply in formality and tone. 'Dressed' is the everyday neutral choice — natural in any spoken or written situation. 'Clad' is literary and slightly old-fashioned, common in poetry or compound forms ('leather-clad', 'iron-clad'). 'Attired' is very formal and now sounds dated outside society columns or wedding announcements. 'Outfitted' suggests someone provided the whole set of clothes for a purpose, especially a job, expedition, or sport. Compare: 'She was dressed in red' (everyday), 'a knight clad in armour' (literary), 'guests attired in evening wear' (very formal), 'the team was outfitted with new uniforms' (provided as a kit).

dressed ↗cladattiredoutfitted

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dressed for the occasion
  • dressed for work

Adverbs

  • smartly dressed
  • well dressed
  • casually dressed
  • badly dressed
  • fully dressed
  • half dressed

Phrases

Prepositions

  • dressed in
  • dressed as
  • dressed for

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The past participle of the verb 'dress', which entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'dresser' meaning 'to arrange, set in order, prepare'. That French verb came from a Latin form 'directiare', built on 'directus' meaning 'straight' or 'direct'. The earliest English meanings were 'to make ready' or 'to arrange', and only later (around 1500) did 'dress' narrow to 'put clothes on'. Today's adjective 'dressed' carries this idea of being made ready or arranged through clothing.