decorate

verb

dec·​o·​rate ˈde-kə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decorate (audio)
decorated; decorating

transitive verb

1
: to add honor to
decorated commerce with the splendid virtues of honor and loyaltyGeoffrey 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
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 Over time, the landscaping planters decorating the pool deck had also become weighed down with more filling and paving than originally designed, increasing the weight load on the slab, according to the presentation. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The dining room is warm and inviting, decorated with semicircular green booths, ribs of wood across the ceiling and half-moon windows, the sort of place that’s as good for date night as a business meal as a family reunion. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Included in the latter collection was a representation of part of the Kansas City skyline, featuring the Western Auto sign, as well as streets decorated with local businesses such as Joe’s Kansas City and Gates BBQ. Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 The six-by-four-foot mural depicts three Apache attack helicopters decorated with pink bows. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 As such, the wearer can appreciate the high-horology finishing, such as the engraved battery bridge decorated with Cotes de Genève and the beveled and polished screw heads. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 His friends, who had minded the Airbnb in his absence, not only left the key for her, but also decorated the kitchen to his specifications: balloons, streamers, flowers, tequila and a birthday card. Rosalie R. Radomsky, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The Fox Hill Trading Acrylic Coffee Table caught our eye because of its wide 21-inch tabletop, which offers plenty of space for decorating and entertaining. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 Each color, each flower represents a message of good tidings and good luck for the new year and are used as gifts and to decorate homes for the holiday. Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decorate.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of decorate was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near decorate

Cite this Entry

“Decorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

decorate

verb
dec·​o·​rate ˈdek-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decorate (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on decorate

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