embellish

verb

em·​bel·​lish im-ˈbe-lish 

embellished; embellishing; embellishes

transitive verb

1

: to make beautiful with ornamentation : decorate

a book embellished with illustrations

2

: to heighten the attractiveness of by adding decorative or fanciful details : enhance

embellished our account of the trip

embellisher noun

Did you know?

Embellish is related to the French word for "beautiful," bel, and, traditionally, it has been used to imply beautifying an object with the addition of things unessential. That's still true; however, it is equally appealing as an adjective for making statements or stories sound more entertaining.

Synonyms

• color
• elaborate (on)
• embroider
• exaggerate
• hyperbolize
• magnify
• pad
• stretch

Choose the Right Synonym for embellish

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

Example Sentences

a book embellished with colorful illustrations

He embellished his speech with a few quotations.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some pathological liars embellish their stories in order to appear more interesting or to garner sympathy. —Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2022

The video above is less than four minutes and explains exactly how to embellish all kinds of items with a simple yarn tassel. —Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 1 Dec. 2022

While that is valid, do your best not to let your anxiety embellish your intuition's wise recommendations beyond what's supported by reality. —Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022

In truth, any running accessories that embellish a runner lifestyle are always gratefully received. —Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2022

Learn about new ways to paint, sculpt, and embellish your gourds with these pumpkin carving alternatives. —Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2022

To add visual weight and texture to a simple faux evergreen garland, embellish it with large pinecones. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Nov. 2022

As long as there is a means of hanging the ornament, these DIY pieces can embellish your wintery window scene or be the final touch on your Christmas dinner table. —Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 15 Nov. 2022

In preparation for the summit, Algerian authorities spent millions of dollars to embellish the city, repainting its notorious white facades and deploying the flags of the 22 members of the Arab League near the city’s Great Mosque. —Jack Jeffery, ajc, 1 Nov. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French embeliss-, stem of embelir, from en- + bel beautiful — more at beauty

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

embellish

verb

em·​bel·​lish im-ˈbel-ish 

: to make beautiful with ornamentation : decorate

a book embellished with pictures

embellishment

-mənt

noun