beautify

verb

beau·​ti·​fy ˈbyü-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce beautify (audio)
beautified; beautifying

transitive verb

: to make beautiful or add beauty to

intransitive verb

: to grow beautiful
beautification noun
beautifier noun
Choose the Right Synonym for beautify

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 beautify in a Sentence

Fresh flowers beautify every room. volunteers beautified the roadside landscape by planting flowers
Recent Examples on the Web This innovative solution not only beautifies homes but also reduces energy costs and contributes to sustainability. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2024 The interconnectedness of our diverse skills and perspectives forms a mosaic that beautifies the world. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 Even folks who make a living beautifying homes espouse the virtues of the laundry chair. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024 The plan is to beautify, upgrade and add green spaces along Western Avenue between 119th Street and 135th Street. Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 Look ‘Natural and Healthy’ Is on Sale Today Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Metal Christmas Tree Collar Tree skirts can get tangled and dusty, but this tree collar beautifies the bottom of your Christmas tree without the fuss. Rachel Trujillo, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 Try Antik Batik placemats to beautify her place settings. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2023 This is a rain-or-shine event, and proceeds go to beautifying Georgetown’s public green spaces. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 11 May 2023 The public is invited to one of 14 county parks to help beautify these areas by removing invasive species and planting trees. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beautify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bewtyfien, from beaute beauty + -fien -fy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of beautify was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near beautify

Cite this Entry

“Beautify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beautify. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beautify

verb
beau·​ti·​fy ˈbyüt-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce beautify (audio)
beautified; beautifying
: to make beautiful or more beautiful
beautification noun

More from Merriam-Webster on beautify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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