dressing down

noun

A sustained rebuke or censure.

“He received a severe dressing down from the head teacher.”

Similar
going overlecturesermonberatingbrowbeatingchidingchocklingcorreption
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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of dress down
noundressing down (plural dressing downs)

plural dressing downs

  1. A sustained rebuke or censure.

    He received a severe dressing down from the head teacher.

    Synonyms: going over, lecture, sermon, berating, browbeating, chiding, chockling, correption

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sustained rebuke or censure.

Similar
going overlecturesermonberatingbrowbeatingchidingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdown the banksgoing overjawinglectureobjurgationrixationsermonscoldingthroughgoing

More synonyms by meaning

nouna severe scolding

Similar
castigationearfulbawling outchewing outupbraidinggoing-over
Broader
rebukereproofreproval
Also see
beratingbrowbeatingcastigationchidingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdown the banksearfulgoing overjawinglectureobjurgationrixationscoldingsermonthroughgoingupbraidingvituperation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

dressing down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressing%20down

MLA

“dressing down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressing%20down. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dressing down,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dressing%20down.

Source: dressing down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.