English Reference
Idiom idiom

dress to kill


To dress up so as to impress others (especially of the opposite sex).

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She always dresses to kill when she goes to parties.

CONTEXTUAL

He spent hours picking out the perfect suit because he wanted to dress to kill for the gala.

COMPLEX

Knowing that the evening would be a pivotal moment for her career, she dressed to kill, hoping to command the attention of every influential person in the room.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all dressed up and nowhere to go

    Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur.

  2. 02

    dress down

    To scold.

  3. 03

    dressed to kill

    Dressed in a very fashionable style.

  4. 04

    dressed to the nines

    Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.

  5. 05

    in for the kill

    Intending to kill or destroy someone or something.

  6. 06

    kill me

    Alternative form of shoot me.

  7. 07

    kill one's darlings

    To destroy things or characters, particularly in art, of which one is fond, often reluctantly in order to improve one's artistic output.

  8. 08

    kill the fatted calf

    To begin a festive celebration and rejoice for someone's long-awaited return.

Last updated August 10, 2026