1
: marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style
is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompous—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: elaborately or excessively decorated
an ornate mantle
an ornate townhouse
ornate chandeliers
ornately
adverb
ornateness
noun
Examples of ornate in a Sentence
She doesn't like ornate jewelry.
an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace
Recent Examples on the Web
The psychological drama, which stars Satya Dev in the title role, showcases an elaborate poster featuring the actor in aristocratic regalia surrounded by peacock feathers and ornate details.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Perhaps best known for its duck march that occurs daily at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., The Peabody Memphis is an ornate and historic downtown hotel that holds intriguing relics of the past.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
The walls are chockablock with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Trump has also made significant decorative changes to the Oval Office, incorporating gold accents, cherubs and other ornate touches, and has installed large flagpoles to display American flags on both the north and south lawns.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Perhaps best known for its duck march that occurs daily at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., The Peabody Memphis is an ornate and historic downtown hotel that holds intriguing relics of the past.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
The walls are chockablock with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Trump has also made significant decorative changes to the Oval Office, incorporating gold accents, cherubs and other ornate touches, and has installed large flagpoles to display American flags on both the north and south lawns.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornate
Cite this Entry
“Ornate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share