window-dress
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To make something appear superficially attractive or better than it really is: This involves presenting facts, information, or a situation in a deliberately misleading or embellished way to create a more favorable impression.
Usage
- The core meaning of "window-dress" is to deceptively improve the appearance of something, often to hide its true, less attractive nature. It is commonly used in contexts like finance, reporting, and marketing.
- It is a transitive verb, typically followed by a direct object (the thing being made to look better).
Examples
- Verb:
- The company was accused of trying to window-dress its financial statements before the audit.
- Politicians often window-dress their policies to gain public support.
- He didn't just summarize the report; he window-dressed it to please the management.
Advanced Usage
- "to window-dress for": to engage in superficial improvement specifically for a particular audience or purpose.
- The annual report was heavily window-dressed for potential investors.
Variants and Related Words
- Window-dressing (noun): The act or instance of making something deceptively attractive; superficial or misleading embellishment.
- The reforms were mere window-dressing and did not address the core problems.
Synonyms
- Embellish: To make something more attractive by adding decorative details, often exaggerating.
- Glamorize: To make something seem more attractive or exciting than it really is.
- Whitewash: To conceal unpleasant facts about a person or situation.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms
- Dress up: (As used in the reference context) To make something seem more interesting, attractive, or respectable than it is.
- You can't dress up the fact that sales have fallen.
Verb
- make something appear superficially attractive
- The researcher tried to dress up the uninteresting data
- Don't try to dress up the unpleasant truth