1.
dress-up doll; a doll designed to be dressed in different outfits
A toy doll, or a paper doll, that comes with a set of clothes so children can change its outfits.
2.
(figurative) a person who is dressed up or styled by others without having a say; someone treated as a mannequin
Used of a person, often a child or a celebrity, whose clothes and look are chosen by others, as if they were a doll.
Literally "change-clothes doll." Physical dress-up dolls (like Licca-chan, Japan's equivalent of Barbie) remain popular, and the concept has expanded into digital media — 着せ替えゲーム (dress-up games) are a major genre in mobile apps.
Common collocations
- 紙の着せ替え人形 — paper dress-up doll
- 着せ替え人形みたい — like a dress-up doll
- 着せ替え人形遊び — playing with dress-up dolls
Usage
The figurative sense often carries a negative connotation — being dressed up by someone else implies a lack of personal agency or being treated as an object for others' amusement.