Synonym Chooser

How is the word adorn different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of adorn are beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words 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

How do beautify and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of adorn?

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

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

In what contexts can deck take the place of adorn?

The synonyms deck and adorn are sometimes interchangeable, but deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When is decorate a more appropriate choice than adorn?

Although the words decorate and adorn have much in common, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

Where would embellish be a reasonable alternative to adorn?

The words embellish and adorn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

When is it sensible to use garnish instead of adorn?

While in some cases nearly identical to adorn, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How are the words ornament and embellish related as synonyms of adorn?

Both 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adorn Period posters still adorn the walls, and rusting signage leads to tunnels that haven’t seen commuters in decades. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 The sheath, adorned with phoenix and tortoise shell designs, was likely a ceremonial offering. Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025 The tour concluded with Cardi showing off a large bed adorned with blue curtains. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 25 June 2025 Home to many Iranian businesses, the restaurants, bakeries and bookstores are adorned with signs in both English and Farsi. Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for adorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adorn
decorate
Verb
  • Amazon Basics Fluted Ceramic Round Planter This early Prime Day deal is perfect for decorating your outdoor table with lush greenery and flowers.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
  • His striking work, Protest, depicts the bloodshed of Sri Lanka’s long civil war, using books that are charred or rendered illegible, often decorated with symbolic or figurative objects, like toy-soldier figurines marching across a soiled page.
    Thessaly La Force, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adorn. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on adorn

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