Meaning trap
dress down
wear casual clothes
to wear clothes that are more casual and relaxed than usual, especially instead of formal or work clothes.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to wear clothes that are more casual and relaxed than usual, especially instead of formal or work clothes.
Another meaning of 'dress down' is 'criticize'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- On Fridays, we can dress down and wear jeans to the office.daily life
- At my university, we usually dress down for lectures, but we dress up for presentations.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: dress down (for something)
WrongWe dress down ourselves on Fridays.
RightWe dress down on Fridays.
'Dress down' is intransitive — no reflexive object.
Patterndress down (for something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Dress down' is the everyday phrase for casual wear; 'wear less formal attire' is a staff handbook.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
dress down + occasionon Fridaysfor the officea dress-down daya bit
Don't confuse it
'Dress up' means to wear more formal or special clothes.
Related
- dress down (criticize) — Another meaning of 'dress down' is 'criticize'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.