Meaning & use
attired
Last updated
“attired” is a form of “attire”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformalliterary
Wearing clothes of a particular kind, especially formal or special clothes.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb and usually followed by 'in' plus the clothes: 'attired in a gown'. It is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- attired in something
- smartly attired
- elegantly attired
The guests were attired in long gowns and dark suits.
He arrived attired in a white linen jacket and straw hat.
For the ceremony the choir was attired in deep blue robes.
Common combinations
- attired in
- She was attired in a simple black dress.
- smartly attired
- The smartly attired doorman opened the door for us.
- elegantly attired
- The elegantly attired couple posed for photographs.
- fully attired
- By seven o'clock he was fully attired and ready to leave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dressed
- The everyday word; 'dressed in' works in any situation, while 'attired in' sounds formal or literary.
- clad
- Also literary and used after a verb, but it often suggests heavy or protective covering, as in 'clad in armor'.
- garbed
- Very close in meaning but even rarer and more old-fashioned than 'attired'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: attired or tired? attired or retired?
attired vs tired
Only one letter differs in sound and spelling: 'attired' means dressed, while 'tired' means needing rest or sleep.
attired vs retired
Means having stopped working, not dressed; the two sound similar at the start.
Practice
The bride was attired ___ a white silk gown.
Choose one answer.
'Attired' is followed by 'in' plus the item of clothing, so 'attired in a white silk gown' is correct. 'With' would describe something carried or added, not worn, and 'on' and 'by' do not fit this pattern at all.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attired”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.