overdress

O1V4E1R1D2R1E1S1S1

verb

To wear too many clothes for a particular occasion.

“parents who overdress their children in winter”

Similar
overclothedress upfig outfig updeck upgussy upfancy uptrick up
Opposite
underdress
OriginEnglish dress ← Middle English dressen ← Old French drecier →
Scrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verboverdress (third-person singular simple present overdresses, present participle overdressing, simple past and past participle overdressed)

present singular third person overdresses · participle present overdressing · participle past overdressed · past overdressed

  1. intransitiveTo wear too many clothes for a particular occasion.
  2. intransitiveTo wear clothing which is too elaborate or formal for a particular occasion.

    We meet again, Fraulein. You Americans, you're all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions.

    1981, Lawrence Kasdan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, spoken by Toht
  3. transitiveTo put too many clothes on (a person).

    parents who overdress their children in winter

  4. transitiveTo put too much dressing on (food).

    Don't overdress the salad: it shouldn't be swimming in oil.

noun
  1. Any dress (feminine-style garment) worn over another, especially over an underdress.
  2. Any garment worn over another.

    Antonyms: underdress

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny garment worn over another.

Opposite
underdress
Opposite
underdress

More synonyms by meaning

verbdress too warmly

Similar
overclothe
Opposite
underdress
Broader
dressclotheenclothe

verbput on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

Similar
dress upfig outfig updeck upgussy upfancy uptrick updeck outtrick outprinkattireget uprig outtog uptog outdresscostume
Opposite
underdress
Broader
dressget dressed
Also see
attirecostumedeck outdeck updressdress upfancy upfig outget upgussy upoverclotheprinkrig outtrick outtrick up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  8. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  9. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  10. Proto-Italic*dis-
  11. Latindīs-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵ-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtós
  14. Proto-Italic*rektos
  15. Latinrēctus
  16. Latindīrēctus
  17. Vulgar Latin*dīrēctiāre
  18. Old Frenchdrecier
  19. Middle Englishdressen
  20. Englishdress
  21. Englishoverdress

From over- + dress.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian контя се
  • контя се (kontja se)to wear too elaborate or formal clothes
Finnish ylipukeutua
  • ylipukeutuato wear too elaborate or formal clothes
Cite this entry
APA

overdress. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdress

MLA

“overdress.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdress. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overdress,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdress.

Source: overdress on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.