embellish

em·bel·lish

verb \im-ˈbe-lish\

Definition of EMBELLISH

transitive verb

1

: to make beautiful with ornamentation : decorate <a book embellished with illustrations>

2

: to heighten the attractiveness of by adding decorative or fanciful details : enhance <embellished our account of the trip>

— em·bel·lish·er noun

Examples of EMBELLISH

1. a book embellished with colorful illustrations
2. He embellished his speech with a few quotations.

Origin of EMBELLISH

Middle English, from Anglo-French embeliss-, stem of embelir, from en- + bel beautiful — more at beauty

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to EMBELLISH

Synonyms: color, elaborate (on), embroider, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch

Antonyms: blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil

Related Words: dress up, gussy up; amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out); fudge, hedge; overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate; emphasize, play up, stress; caricature; satirize

Near Antonyms: belittle, minimize, play down, understate

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at adorn

Rhymes with EMBELLISH

disrelish