Meaning & use
black dress
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Meanings
nouncountable
A dress that is black in color, often worn for formal or semi-formal occasions.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or numbers, and add -es for plural: black dresses.
Patterns
- a black dress
- black dresses
- wear a black dress
- in a black dress
She wore a simple black dress to the party.
He bought her a black dress for their anniversary.
The store sells black dresses in many styles.
nouncountableinformal
A specific style of dress that is black, such as a little black dress, considered a fashion staple.
Grammar: Often used with 'little' to refer to a famous fashion item: the little black dress.
Patterns
- little black dress
- the classic black dress
Every woman should own a little black dress.
The little black dress is a timeless piece.
Word forms
| plural | black dresses |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a black dress
- She decided to wear a black dress to the funeral.
- a little black dress
- She bought a little black dress for the cocktail party.
- a long black dress
- For the formal event, she chose a long black dress.
- a short black dress
- He preferred her in a short black dress.
- a black dress with lace
- The black dress with lace was elegant.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dark dress
- Broader: any dark-colored dress, not specifically black.
- gown
- A more formal, often long dress for special occasions.
Commonly confused: black dress or black tie?
black dress vs black tie
Refers to a formal dress code, not a dress itself.
Practice
She looked elegant in ___ black dress she bought yesterday.
Choose one answer.
The definite article 'the' is used because the dress is specific—the one she bought yesterday. 'A' would be incorrect because it introduces a non-specific dress, but here it's already identified.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “black dress”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.