cross-dressing

noun

cross-dress·​ing ˈkrȯs-ˌdre-siŋ How to pronounce cross-dressing (audio)
: the wearing of clothes designed for the opposite sex
cross-dress
ˈkrȯs-ˌdres How to pronounce cross-dressing (audio)
intransitive verb
cross-dresser
ˈkrȯs-ˌdre-sər How to pronounce cross-dressing (audio)
noun

Examples of cross-dressing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
And Chiara’s cross-dressing sparks an homage to Marcello’s most romantic film, Visconti’s White Nights, this time rescuing a suicidal gay soldier. — Armond White, National Review, 14 Feb. 2025 The 2006 cult classic twist on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night starred Amanda Bynes as a cross-dressing soccer prodigy and Channing Tatum as the clueless, heartthrob team captain. — Paulina Prosnitz, airmail.news, 24 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-dressing was in 1911

Rhymes for cross-dressing

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cross-dressing
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“Cross-dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-dressing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

cross-dressing

noun
cross-dress·​ing
ˈkrȯs-ˌdres-iŋ
: the wearing of clothes made for the opposite sex
cross-dresser
-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cross-dressing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cross-dressing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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