50 Idioms for Costumes With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Costumes
1. Dressed to Kill
Meaning: Wearing very fancy or attractive clothes.
In a Sentence: She was dressed to kill for her school’s talent show.
Other Ways to Say: Dressed to impress, Looking sharp
2. Put on a Brave Face
Meaning: To pretend to be okay even when you’re not.
In a Sentence: He put on a brave face when his team lost the game.
Other Ways to Say: Fake a smile, Act confident
3. Wear Many Hats
Meaning: To take on different roles or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: As a teacher, she wears many hats—mentor, friend, and counselor.
Other Ways to Say: Multitask, Take on multiple roles
4. Mask One’s Feelings
Meaning: To hide true emotions.
In a Sentence: He masked his feelings of disappointment with a forced laugh.
Other Ways to Say: Hide emotions, Put on a front
5. Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous.
In a Sentence: Be careful of him—he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Other Ways to Say: Two-faced, Pretender
6. Dress the Part
Meaning: To wear clothes suitable for a specific role.
In a Sentence: If you want the job, you have to dress the part.
Other Ways to Say: Look the role, Wear appropriate attire
7. Costume Drama
Meaning: A situation or argument that is overly dramatic.
In a Sentence: Their breakup turned into a real costume drama.
Other Ways to Say: Exaggerated story, Emotional mess
8. Suit Up
Meaning: To put on a uniform or formal outfit.
In a Sentence: The players suited up before the big game.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready, Dress professionally
9. Hide Behind a Mask
Meaning: To conceal your true identity or feelings.
In a Sentence: She hides behind a mask of confidence but is very insecure.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal emotions, Pretend
10. Cloak and Dagger
Meaning: Secretive or mysterious behavior.
In a Sentence: Their meeting was full of cloak-and-dagger secrecy.
Other Ways to Say: Undercover, Hush-hush
11. All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go
Meaning: Prepared for something that doesn’t happen.
In a Sentence: I was all dressed up and nowhere to go when the party got canceled.
Other Ways to Say: Disappointed, Plans fell through
12. Don a Disguise
Meaning: To wear a costume or outfit to hide identity.
In a Sentence: The magician donned a disguise to avoid fans.
Other Ways to Say: Put on a costume, Hide identity
13. Fit Like a Glove
Meaning: Clothing that fits perfectly.
In a Sentence: Her Halloween costume fit like a glove.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect fit, Tailor-made
14. Change Out of Character
Meaning: To act in a way that’s not usual for someone.
In a Sentence: Wearing a bright costume, she looked totally out of character.
Other Ways to Say: Unusual, Not typical
15. Dress Down
Meaning: To wear casual clothes or to scold someone.
In a Sentence: It was casual Friday, so everyone dressed down.
Other Ways to Say: Go casual, Wear simple clothes
16. Buttoned Up
Meaning: Very formal or reserved in behavior or appearance.
In a Sentence: He looked so buttoned up in his tuxedo.
Other Ways to Say: Polished, Restrained
17. Put On Airs
Meaning: To act superior or snobbish, often with appearance.
In a Sentence: She put on airs wearing her designer outfit.
Other Ways to Say: Show off, Act high and mighty
18. In Costume
Meaning: Wearing clothes to portray a specific character.
In a Sentence: The children arrived at school in costume for Halloween.
Other Ways to Say: Dressed up, In disguise
19. Steal the Show
Meaning: To attract the most attention.
In a Sentence: Her sparkly costume stole the show.
Other Ways to Say: Be the center of attention, Outshine others
20. Second Skin
Meaning: Clothes that feel very natural to wear.
In a Sentence: His superhero costume fit him like a second skin.
Other Ways to Say: Comfortable, Natural fit
21. Throw on Something
Meaning: To quickly put on clothes.
In a Sentence: I just threw on my costume and rushed out.
Other Ways to Say: Dress quickly, Slip into
22. Be in Someone’s Shoes
Meaning: To imagine oneself in another person’s situation.
In a Sentence: If you were in her shoes, you’d understand why she dressed like that.
Other Ways to Say: Empathize, Understand another’s view
23. Best Bib and Tucker
Meaning: Wearing your finest clothes.
In a Sentence: He showed up in his best bib and tucker for the banquet.
Other Ways to Say: Sunday best, Dressed up fancy
24. Behind the Mask
Meaning: Hidden truth or feelings.
In a Sentence: Behind the mask of joy, he was actually sad.
Other Ways to Say: Concealed emotions, Inner truth
25. Change Costumes
Meaning: To switch appearances or roles.
In a Sentence: The actors had to change costumes between scenes.
Other Ways to Say: Outfit swap, Wardrobe change
26. Dressed to the Nines
Meaning: Wearing extremely stylish or elegant clothes.
In a Sentence: At the wedding, everyone was dressed to the nines. / He showed up at the party dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo.
Other Ways to Say: Perfectly dressed, Elegantly attired
27. All Dolled Up
Meaning: Dressed up nicely, often with makeup and accessories.
In a Sentence: She was all dolled up for prom night. / He was surprised to see her all dolled up at the reunion.
Other Ways to Say: Glammed up, Fancy-looking
28. Wear Many Hats
Meaning: To take on many roles or responsibilities (metaphorical, but often includes costume changes in performance).
In a Sentence: As a teacher and coach, she wears many hats at school. / Running a small business means you wear many hats.
Other Ways to Say: Multi-tasker, Jack-of-all-trades
29. Put on the Ritz
Meaning: To dress or act in an extravagant way.
In a Sentence: He really put on the Ritz for the gala. / She put on the Ritz with her sequined gown.
Other Ways to Say: Go all out, Dress extravagantly
30. Dressed Like a Clown
Meaning: Wearing mismatched or silly clothes.
In a Sentence: He accidentally dressed like a clown for the serious interview. / Stop dressing like a clown for family dinners!
Other Ways to Say: Silly outfit, Goofy look
31. Sunday Best
Meaning: The nicest clothes someone owns, usually worn on special occasions.
In a Sentence: He wore his Sunday best to his cousin’s wedding. / She looked stunning in her Sunday best.
Other Ways to Say: Finest clothes, Formal wear
32. Buttoned Up
Meaning: Neat and very well dressed.
In a Sentence: The lawyer was buttoned up in a crisp suit. / He always looks so buttoned up at meetings.
Other Ways to Say: Properly dressed, Sharp
33. Dressed to the Teeth
Meaning: Wearing your best clothes and accessories.
In a Sentence: She was dressed to the teeth for the fashion show. / They were all dressed to the teeth for the award ceremony.
Other Ways to Say: Fully decked out, Flawlessly styled
34. In Disguise
Meaning: Wearing clothes to hide your identity.
In a Sentence: The spy moved around the city in disguise. / She wore a wig and glasses to stay in disguise.
Other Ways to Say: Camouflaged, Undercover
35. Suited and Booted
Meaning: Wearing a formal outfit, including shoes.
In a Sentence: Everyone at the wedding was suited and booted. / He showed up suited and booted for his big presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Formally dressed, Dapper
36. Under the Mask
Meaning: Hiding true feelings or identity behind a costume or behavior.
In a Sentence: Under the mask of confidence, he was actually scared. / She hides her sadness under the mask of laughter.
Other Ways to Say: Pretending, Putting on a front
37. Behind the Curtain
Meaning: Hidden from public view, often referring to costume changes or secrets.
In a Sentence: A lot goes on behind the curtain before a play begins. / She always remains behind the curtain and avoids the spotlight.
Other Ways to Say: Out of sight, Backstage
38. Playing Dress-Up
Meaning: Wearing costumes for fun or role-play.
In a Sentence: The kids were playing dress-up as superheroes. / Sometimes, adults enjoy playing dress-up for themed parties.
Other Ways to Say: Costume play, Pretend dress
39. Put on the Dog
Meaning: To dress in a fancy or showy way.
In a Sentence: She really put on the dog for the big date. / They put on the dog for the charity gala.
Other Ways to Say: Dress flamboyantly, Show off
40. Cloak and Dagger
Meaning: Relating to secrecy and disguise.
In a Sentence: The operation was full of cloak and dagger. / He liked the cloak-and-dagger nature of spy movies.
Other Ways to Say: Secretive, Mysterious
41. Wear Your Costume Proudly
Meaning: To be confident in your appearance, even if it’s unusual.
In a Sentence: She wore her Halloween costume proudly, even in the grocery store. / He wore his cosplay outfit proudly at the convention.
Other Ways to Say: Own your style, Be bold
42. Like a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is dangerous (often hiding under a costume of innocence).
In a Sentence: That criminal was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. / Be careful; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Other Ways to Say: Deceptive, Two-faced
43. The Clothes Make the Man
Meaning: What someone wears influences how they are perceived.
In a Sentence: He got more respect in a suit because the clothes make the man. / They say the clothes make the man, so she wore a power suit.
Other Ways to Say: Appearance matters, Dress for success
44. Costume Drama
Meaning: A situation full of exaggeration or dressed-up emotions (also refers to period dramas).
In a Sentence: Their breakup turned into a real costume drama. / That show was more of a costume drama than reality.
Other Ways to Say: Overdone, Theatrical situation
45. Fit Like a Glove
Meaning: A costume or outfit that fits perfectly.
In a Sentence: That dress fit like a glove. / His Halloween suit fit like a glove and got lots of compliments.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect fit, Tailored well
46. Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
Meaning: Showing your emotions openly (metaphorically tied to dress or costume).
In a Sentence: She wore her heart on her sleeve during the performance. / He’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Other Ways to Say: Be open, Show feelings
47. Out of Costume
Meaning: Being yourself without any act or disguise.
In a Sentence: Off-stage, the actor is very shy and out of costume. / She was finally out of costume and could relax.
Other Ways to Say: As yourself, Natural state
48. Wear a New Look
Meaning: Try on a different style or costume.
In a Sentence: For the party, she decided to wear a new look. / He wore a new look for the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Change style, Try something fresh
49. Mask the Truth
Meaning: Hide the real facts, often behind a costume or expression.
In a Sentence: He masked the truth with a smile. / The performer masked the truth behind a cheerful act.
Other Ways to Say: Cover up, Conceal
50. Playing a Role
Meaning: Pretending to be someone else, often in costume or behavior.
In a Sentence: She was just playing a role at work, not being her true self. / He played the role of the villain perfectly.
Other Ways to Say: Pretending, Acting
