Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of decorate are adorn, beautify, deck, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When might adorn be a better fit than decorate?

The synonyms adorn and decorate are sometimes interchangeable, but adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of decorate?

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

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When can deck be used instead of decorate?

Although the words deck and decorate have much in common, deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When would embellish be a good substitute for decorate?

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

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to decorate?

While in some cases nearly identical to decorate, 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 do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of decorate?

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 decorate The new dining rooms are decorated in Western finery. Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025 However, the devil is in the footnotes that decorate each item. PC Magazine, 17 June 2025 One way to turn a house into a home is by decorating each space with purpose. Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 17 June 2025 After the supplies were unloaded, Qasem Hassan pulled a medical smock over her black jacket and entered a classroom decorated with diagrams of the digestive system. Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for decorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorate
Verb
  • The living quarters center around a cloister courtyard that is lined with dramatic arched colonnades and adorned with a stone wishing well.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 20 June 2025
  • The hats’ modern shape take inspiration from the traditional Panama hat, updated and adorned with wide ribbons — a signature of the Sant Angelo brand.
    Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The caskets were draped in Iranian flags and adorned with photos of the deceased.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
  • The crowd grew to more than 50 people within the hour, many draped in keffiyehs and hoisting Palestinian flags high above their heads.
    Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on decorate

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