decorate

verb dec·o·rate \ ˈde-kə-ˌrāt \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of decorate

decorated; decorating

transitive verb

1 : to add honor to

decorated commerce with the splendid virtues of honor and loyalty
—Geoffrey Household

2 : to furnish with something ornamental

decorate a room with artwork

decorating the Christmas tree

3 : to award a mark of honor to

a soldier decorated for valor

highly decorated war veterans

intransitive verb

: to furnish something with ornamentation

decorating for the party

See decorate defined for English-language learners

See decorate defined for kids

Examples of decorate in a Sentence

I always enjoy decorating the Christmas tree.
I decorated my apartment in dark colors.

Recent Examples of decorate from the Web

Our photographic solution: decorate the soup with BACON CROUTONS.

— alex beggs, Bon Appetit, "Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Bacony Croutons Because It’s Still Ham Season," 9 Apr. 2018
Since the Bronze Age, men have cast and decorated the material into ornate forms.

— wei koh, A-LIST, "How the Watch Industry Plundered the Periodic Table," 3 Apr. 2018
The event recognizes aspirant guides and decorates newly minted IFMGA guides with certificates and medals.

— anna callaghan, Outside Online, "Smashing Guiding's Glass Ceiling," 3 Apr. 2018
Today, the 64-year-old lives in his own Seattle apartment, decorated with house plants, knick-knacks, and a guitar, has been sober for almost two years and holds a steady job.

— gregory scruggs, The Christian Science Monitor, "Tax credit provides affordable housing to Seattle's homeless," 30 Mar. 2018
For more information, go to www.napersettlement.org. Kindness Rocks Teens can participate in the Kindness Rocks program — decorating rocks with inspirational messages — at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at the Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "This Week in Naperville," 23 Mar. 2018
Following her diagnosis, a family friend taught Castellano how to decorate her face with colorful eye shadows and lipsticks as a distraction.

— travis mchenry, Marie Claire, "What It's Like to Die Online," 13 Mar. 2018
Josh Hawley, the state’s attorney general, has decorated the room with reminders of his family and some more political keepsakes, including a portrait of Ronald Reagan and a copy of Barry Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative.

— Bloomberg.com, "Google Should Be Worried About This Possible Missouri Lawsuit," 8 Mar. 2018
The all-white sneaker is designed 90% of the way leaving the other 10% is up to the wearer to decide how to decorate it (hence the 90/10 name).

— alyssa hardy, Teen Vogue, "Nike Releases a Customizable 90/10 Sneaker," 21 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decorate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of decorate

Latin decoratus, past participle of decorare, from decor-, decus ornament, honor — more at decent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

decorate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of decorate

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

DECORATE Defined for English Language Learners

decorate

verb

Definition of decorate for English Language Learners

: to make (something) more attractive usually by putting something on it
: to give a medal or award to (someone, such as a soldier)

DECORATE Defined for Kids

decorate

verb dec·o·rate \ ˈde-kə-ˌrāt \

Definition of decorate for Students

decorated; decorating

1 : to make more attractive by adding beautiful or festive things

We decorated the room with flowers.

2 : to award a badge of honor to

The soldier was decorated for bravery.

Learn More about decorate

See words that rhyme with decorate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for decorate Spanish Central: Translation of decorate Nglish: Translation of decorate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of decorate for Arabic speakers

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decorate

Definition of decorate

Examples of decorate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of decorate from the Web

Origin and Etymology of decorate

decorate Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of decorate

DECORATE Defined for English Language Learners

decorate

Definition of decorate for English Language Learners

DECORATE Defined for Kids

decorate

Definition of decorate for Students

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