Meaning & use
dressed well
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Wearing attractive, neat, or stylish clothes that suit the occasion.
Grammar: Comes after be, look, or seem, not before a noun. For before a noun, use well-dressed: a well-dressed guest.
Patterns
- be dressed well
- look dressed well
- dressed well for something
She is always dressed well for work, even on casual Fridays.
They looked dressed well at the party, with smart jackets and polished shoes.
He was dressed well for the interview, in a dark suit and tie.
phrasetransitive
To put clothes on someone in a careful or attractive way.
Grammar: Used with an object: dressed the children well. Often in the passive: was dressed well.
Patterns
- dress someone well
- be dressed well by someone
The nurse dressed the baby well in warm layers.
The stylist dressed the actors well for the photo shoot.
Common combinations
- dressed well for an occasion
- She was dressed well for the wedding in a silk dress.
- always dressed well
- He is always dressed well, even when running errands.
- dressed well and neatly
- The children arrived dressed well and neatly for the school play.
- dressed well on a budget
- You can be dressed well on a budget if you choose classic pieces.
- dressed well enough
- For a casual dinner, jeans and a nice top are dressed well enough.
Synonyms and how they differ
- well-dressed
- Use well-dressed before a noun (a well-dressed woman); dressed well comes after a verb.
- smartly dressed
- Focuses on neat, formal, or business-like clothing, often British.
- stylish
- Describes fashion sense in general, not only what someone is wearing now.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dressed well or well-dressed?
dressed well vs well-dressed
Well-dressed goes before a noun (a well-dressed man). Dressed well goes after a verb (He is dressed well).
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dressed well' correctly?
Choose one answer.
After the verb 'is', we use 'dressed well' to describe her appearance. 'A dressed well woman' is wrong because 'well-dressed' is needed before a noun. 'Dressed well the party' misses 'for', and 'for to' is not English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dressed well”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.