beautify

verb

beau·​ti·​fy ˈbyü-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce beautify (audio)
beautified; beautifying
Synonyms of beautifynext

transitive verb

: to make beautiful or add beauty to
tips on how to beautify your home

intransitive verb

: to grow beautiful
beautification noun
beautifier noun
Choose the Right Synonym for beautify

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 beautify in a Sentence

Fresh flowers beautify every room. volunteers beautified the roadside landscape by planting flowers
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Lago explained in a March 10 meeting that the fee would make required maintenance cheaper and easier for business owners, while letting the city manage sidewalk pressure-cleaning and repairs, landscaping and streetscape upkeep to clean and beautify the city. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026 Many plants are admired for their striking aesthetic qualities, and flowers such as tulips, lilies, sunflowers, and daisies beautify fields, gardens, windowsills, and bouquets the world over. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 Besides physically climbing over surfaces, cucumbers have moved globally—not by means of their coiling tendrils, but rather by becoming a commodity known for its refreshing and beautifying uses. Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026 The House will vote on legislation to create a commission of federal officials who would come up with ways to beautify the District of Columbia and restore federal monuments. Adam Beam, AJC.com, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beautify

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bewtyfien, from beaute beauty + -fien -fy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of beautify was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beautify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beautify. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

beautify

verb
beau·​ti·​fy ˈbyüt-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce beautify (audio)
beautified; beautifying
: to make beautiful or more beautiful
beautification noun
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