Meaning & use
to the nines
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Wearing very stylish, elaborate, or formal clothes.
Grammar: Almost always used after 'dressed' or 'dressed up': 'dressed to the nines' means wearing your best, most impressive outfit.
Patterns
- dressed to the nines
- dressed up to the nines
She arrived at the gala dressed to the nines in a silver gown.
For his sister's wedding, he was dressed up to the nines.
Everyone at the awards ceremony was dressed to the nines.
Common combinations
- dressed to the nines
- He was dressed to the nines for the interview.
- dressed up to the nines
- They were all dressed up to the nines for the party.
- go out to the nines
- She loves to go out to the nines on special occasions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dressed up
- More general; it simply means wearing formal or fancy clothes, not necessarily looking extremely stylish.
- dolled up
- Informal and often slightly disapproving; it emphasizes a lot of effort to look attractive.
- in your best
- Means wearing your best clothes, but it is less idiomatic and less emphatic than 'to the nines'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: to the nines or nine?
to the nines vs nine
The number nine is not the same as the idiom; 'to the nines' is a fixed phrase meaning dressed very stylishly.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'For the red carpet, the actors were dressed ______.'
Choose one answer.
'To the nines' is the fixed idiom, always with a plural 'nines'. The other options are not used in English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to the nines”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.