Meaning trap
dress up
exaggerate facts
To make something, especially information or a situation, seem more impressive, important, or attractive than it really is, often by exaggerating or presenting it in a misleadingly positive way.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To make something, especially information or a situation, seem more impressive, important, or attractive than it really is, often by exaggerating or presenting it in a misleadingly positive way.
'dress up' also has the more basic meaning 'wear smart or special clothes'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The company tried to dress up its financial results to make the quarter look more successful than it actually was.media
- Some politicians tend to dress up their achievements during campaigns, making it difficult for voters to distinguish between genuine progress and exaggerated claims.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: dress up something (as something)
WrongHe dressed up the failure like a success.
RightHe dressed up the failure as a success.
Use 'dress up X as Y' — 'as', not 'like'.
Patterndress up something (as something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Dress up' carries the spin/disguise nuance; the formal paraphrase loses the implied dishonesty.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
dress up + factsthe figuresthe truththe reportit as
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B2 sense ('make something look more attractive'), this sense is figurative and often carries a negative or critical connotation, implying that the facts or situation are being misrepresented or exaggerated, not just improved in appearance.
Related
- dress up (wear smart or special clothes) — 'dress up' also has the more basic meaning 'wear smart or special clothes'; this is the advanced sense.