Meaning & use
dressed in
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
wearing particular clothes or colors
Grammar: Followed by a noun phrase: dressed in black, dressed in a uniform.
Patterns
- dressed in something
- be dressed in something
She was dressed in a bright red coat and matching boots.
The guests were all dressed in formal evening wear.
He came to the party dressed in jeans and an old T-shirt.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
covered or decorated with something
Grammar: Often used for surfaces: dressed in flags, dressed in lights.
Patterns
- dressed in something
The town was dressed in flags for the festival.
The windows were dressed in bright paper chains.
Common combinations
- dressed in black
- Everyone at the funeral was dressed in black.
- dressed in a suit
- He arrived for the interview dressed in a dark suit.
- dressed in uniform
- The children were dressed in school uniform.
- smartly dressed
- The staff were all smartly dressed in navy blue.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: dressed in or dress in?
dressed in vs dress in
'Dress in' is the verb phrase meaning 'put on clothes of a type', while 'dressed in' describes the state of already wearing them.
Practice
Choose the best completion: The bride was dressed ___ white.
Choose one answer.
'Dressed in' is the fixed phrase for clothing or color. 'Dressed on' is not used for clothes, and 'dressed with' suggests decoration like sauce or lights, not a wedding dress.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dressed in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.