Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparableVery fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.
He arrived at the gala, dressed to the nines in his top hat and tails.
2 more examples
During the early part of the day he took a stroll in the vicinity of "Fell's Point," dressed to the nines, with his cravat, and pin, and shirt collar neatly folded over.
1846, Alexander Kerr Bonn, An Original, Laughable and Comical Tale of Hughie Morrison, the Scottish Emigrant, page 20All you will see is a girl you once knew, although she's dressed up to the nines, at sixes and sevens with you.
1976, Tim Rice, Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivedressed in fancy or formal clothing
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From dressed + to the nines; first recorded in the 1800s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan anar de vint-i-un botó
- anar de vint-i-un botóvery fancily or formally dressed
Chinese Mandarin 盛装打扮
- 盛装打扮very fancily or formally dressed
Dutch op zijn paasbest
- op zijn paasbestvery fancily or formally dressed
Finnish viimeisen päälle, pukeutuneena
- viimeisen päällevery fancily or formally dressed
- pukeutuneenavery fancily or formally dressed
French sur son trente et un, tiré à quatre épingles
- sur son trente et unvery fancily or formally dressed
- tiré à quatre épinglesvery fancily or formally dressed
Hungarian kicsípi magát
- kicsípi magátvery fancily or formally dressed
Icelandic vel til fara
- vel til faravery fancily or formally dressed
Irish pioctha péacach
- pioctha péacachvery fancily or formally dressed
Italian vestito di tutto punto
- vestito di tutto puntovery fancily or formally dressed
Polish elegancko ubrany
- elegancko ubranyvery fancily or formally dressed
Russian разодетый в пух и прах, расфуфыренный
- разодетый в пух и прах (razodetyj v pux i prax)very fancily or formally dressed
- расфуфыренный (rasfufyrennyj)very fancily or formally dressed
- одетый с иголочки (odetyj s igoločki)very fancily or formally dressed
Scottish Gaelic air èideadh gu spaideil
- air èideadh gu spaideilvery fancily or formally dressed
Spanish de punta en blanco, hecho un brazo de mar
- de punta en blancovery fancily or formally dressed
- hecho un brazo de marvery fancily or formally dressed
- de tiros largosvery fancily or formally dressed
- de oro y azulvery fancily or formally dressed
Cite this entry
dressed to the nines. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressed%20to%20the%20nines
“dressed to the nines.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressed%20to%20the%20nines. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dressed to the nines,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressed%20to%20the%20nines.
Source: dressed to the nines on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.