decorate

verb

dec·​o·​rate ˈde-kə-ˌrāt 

decorated; decorating

transitive verb

1

: to add honor to

decorated commerce with the splendid virtues of honor and loyalty

—Geoffrey Household

2

: to furnish with something ornamental

decorate a room with artwork

decorating the Christmas tree

3

: to award a mark of honor to

a soldier decorated for valor

highly decorated war veterans

intransitive verb

: to furnish something with ornamentation

decorating for the party

Synonyms

• adorn
• array
• beautify
• bedeck
• bedizen
• blazon
• caparison
• deck
• do
• doll up
• do up
• drape
• dress
• embellish
• emblaze
• emboss
• enrich
• fancify
• fancy up
• festoon
• garnish
• glitz (up)
• grace
• gussy up
• ornament
• pretty (up)
• trim

Choose the Right Synonym for decorate

adorn, decorate, ornament, embellish, beautify, deck, garnish mean to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential.

adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original

a white house ornamented with green shutters

, embellish often stressing the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

Examples of decorate in a Sentence

I always enjoy decorating the Christmas tree.

I decorated my apartment in dark colors.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a photo shared to her Instagram Stories over the weekend, the Betty Buzz founder, 36, shows off some serious bling including a pinky ring with an oversize gemstone, a gold chain link bracelet decorated with a yellow diamond lemon charm and a gold bangle. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 10 June 2024

The Peace Pole is displayed in a garden decorated with numerous rocks that members of the Interact Club designed. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2024

The Moore-Cole Household: The women recently bought a new home, a bright and lively two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath duplex decorated with concert memorabilia, Funko Pop dolls, Keith Haring artwork and vintage Suffragette posters. —Kera Bolonik, New York Times, 7 June 2024

While both variations of the style draw decorating inspiration from literature, art, and history, dark and light each have a few distinguishing characteristics, and their names say it all. —Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin decoratus, past participle of decorare, from decor-, decus ornament, honor — more at decent

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

decorate

verb

dec·​o·​rate ˈdek-ə-ˌrāt 

decorated; decorating

1

: to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming

decorate a room

2

: to award a decoration of honor to

decorate a soldier for bravery