dress down

Related to dress down: eat one's heart out

dress down

1. To severely reprimand someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "dress" and "down." The boss will definitely dress down the person who messed up this report. Mom and Dad dressed me down when I came in after curfew yet again.
2. To dress more casually than usual. We're allowed to dress down on Fridays if we don't have any big meetings scheduled.
See also: down, dress
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

dress someone down

to bawl someone out; to give someone a good scolding. The drill sergeant dressed down the entire squadron for failing inspection. I'm really late. I know my parents will dress me down when I get home.
See also: down, dress
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

dress down

1. Scold, reprimand, as in The sergeant will dress down the entire unit. In the 15th century the verb dress alone was used in the sense of "punish," down being added several centuries later. It also gave rise to the noun dressing down for punishment with blows or words. For example, The teacher gave the girls a severe dressing down.
2. Wear informal clothes, as in It's best to dress down for a party like a barbecue. [Mid-1900s] For the antonym, see dress up.
See also: down, dress
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

dress down

v.
1. To scold or reprimand someone: The teacher dressed down the students for arriving to class late. My parents dressed me down for being rude.
2. To wear informal clothes, befitting an occasion or location: I dressed down for the casual party.
See also: down, dress
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • ask down
  • call down
  • chow down
  • chow something down
  • bear down
  • clean down
  • clunk
  • clunk down
  • batter
  • batter down
References in periodicals archive
'The popularity of 'dress down days' and relaxed attitudes towards dress code have soared in recent years.
Productivity rises as workers dress down
Dress down with beaded sandals or up to the sky in sexy high wedges.
BOLLYWOOD NIGHTS: INSPIRED BY INDIA
A UK-wide survey of ownermanagers has revealed that a third of small businesses with a dress down policy believe it has brought a significant boost to their productivity.
Scotland Means Business: Bosses get a dressing down; Firms headed by women are more likely to adopt a dressing-down policy
Come to think of it, maybe that bank should hang onto dress down Friday.
Lowri Turner: We won't miss chaps in slacks
Then as the new Millennium approached, the party atmosphere continued with the introduction of the dreaded dress down days where staff could go straight from the office to the pub.
Jobs: Workplace dress: Be smart and stay one step in front; Back to Basics
RICHARD Acworth, 27, is a PR consultant with Kinross & Render, which has a "dress down Friday" policy in its London office.
Dressing UP or dressing DOWN?; Act casual or get smart - it's the big office dilemma
The consultants claimed the figures showed the trend to dress down in offices had fallen over the past year.
Hemlines raise temperature
HUNDREDS of pupils at schools in Coventry and Warwickshire threw uniforms aside for the Air Ambulance Dress Down Day.
Casual way to keep lifesavers in the air; MUSIC AND MOVIES AMONG INSPIRATIONS FOR PUPILS' CHARITY DAY
The 35-year-old hates the English Rose image which shot her to fame and likes to dress down at home.
Bag lady Helena
"The Emmy's people called me and said that I should really dress down but no way - never, " she said.
Defiant dress sense; Westgate
More than 10 per cent of companies have an American-style "Dress Down Friday" and one reported a drastic cut in staff taking a sneaky day off.
Dressing down for dodgers
And it is businesses in London and Birmingham that are most likely to have a dress down policy (26 per cent and 24 per cent respectively) whilst Scottish Businesses are least likely (13 per cent).
Owners say staff dress down for growing success
FASHION experts are warning it's time to ditch the little black dress for this year's festive season and dress down with casual glamour.
In the jeans; Stars opt for casual glamour
So as we head towards March, cast off those heavy clothes of winter and start to dress down for spring.
Taking a casual approach
TONY Blair's call for MPs to "dress down" doesn't quite fit with other top politicians - and what would Betty Boothroyd think?
PM'S JEANS DREAM TORN TO SHREDS; Thumbs down for casualwear MPs