Meaning trap
dress up
make something look more attractive
To make something look nicer or more interesting, often by adding decorations or extra details.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To make something look nicer or more interesting, often by adding decorations or extra details.
Another meaning of 'dress up' is 'wear smart or special clothes'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- She dressed up the salad with some fresh herbs and colorful vegetables.daily life
- Sometimes, people dress up their CVs to make their experience sound more impressive.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: dress something up
WrongA few plants really dress up it.
RightA few plants really dress it up.
With a pronoun object, put it in the middle — 'dress it up', not 'dress up it'.
Patterndress something up
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Dress up' is the natural verb for jazzing something up; 'enhance the appearance of' is a recipe-book voice.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
dress up + thinga dishthe rooma presentationan outfit
Don't confuse it
This sense is about improving appearance, not about clothing.
Related
- dress up (wear smart or special clothes) — Another meaning of 'dress up' is 'wear smart or special clothes'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.