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.
Say it like a native
Textbook They presented the disappointing figures in a misleadingly favourable way.
Native They dressed up the bad figures to look good.
'Dress up' carries the spin/disguise nuance; the formal paraphrase loses the implied dishonesty.
Pattern: dress up something (as something)
In use
- 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
Common mistake
✗ He dressed up the truth with nicer.
✓ He dressed up the truth. / He dressed it up as good news.
'Dress up' takes the thing directly, or 'dress up as' — not 'with nicer'.
Common collocations
dress up + facts— the figures, the truth, the report, it 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.