GUSSY UP Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

gussy up

verb

ˈgə-sē-ˈəp

Definition of gussy up

as in to decorate

to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming gone are the days when the high school prom was held in the gym, which had been gussied up for the occasion

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gussy up Kristin Keyes, interior designer in Nashville, Tennessee, is also a fan of drapery panels, particularly to highlight interior French doors and gussy up front doors. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 13 May 2026 This is increasingly becoming a thing theaters are experimenting with, tapping into the latest TikTok trends to gussy up your pop. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026 But why is Nvidia voluntarily forfeiting an accounting maneuver that helps companies gussy up their results? — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2026 Alongside letting fans treat Majima like a Ken doll by fashioning his outfits, hairstyles, makeup, and jewelry, the game allows players to customize and gussy up his sea vessel. — Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2025 This luxe velvet Jennifer Behr Velvet Bow Barrette is classic enough to pair with jeans and a white tee, but can easily gussy up a nap dress with a clip of its barrette (no behind-the-head, blind-tying necessary). — Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 27 Sep. 2024 Our readers offered their hacks to gussy up a frozen pizza and tips to make it from scratch. — Tejal Rao, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024 Took several payments of $350,000—to gussy up China’s image in the West. — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 14 July 2023 For a condiment upgrade, gussy up a bottle of ketchup with tahini. — Joe Sevier, Bon Appétit, 14 June 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gussy up

Verb

At the heart of the dining room stands La Venatoria, a rare Richard Ginori vase from the late 1920s, produced during Gio Ponti’s artistic direction and decorated with the Triumph of the Amazons motif.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
One of two primary bedrooms is decorated with a vibrant abstract painting.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of decorate

Verb

But the very act of putting on a wearable—of willingly adorning oneself with a tiny computerized narc—is an act of surrender.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
The politician proposed with a glamorous three-stone engagement ring adorned with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of adorn

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gussying up

gussy up

gust

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“Gussy up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gussy%20up. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of gussy up

verb

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