embellishment

noun

em·​bel·​lish·​ment im-ˈbe-lish-mənt 

1

: the act or process of embellishing

2

: something serving to embellish

3

: ornament sense 5

Synonyms

• adornment
• beautifier
• caparison
• decoration
• doodad
• embellisher
• frill
• garnish
• garnishment
• garniture
• ornament
• ornamentation
• setoff
• trim

Examples of embellishment in a Sentence

a colorful mobile is just the embellishment that the soon-to-be nursery needs

the actor's penchant for embellishment suggests that his memoirs would be more appropriately shelved in the fiction section

Recent Examples on the Web

And brands should also offer decorative twists with embroideries and embellishments to lift the female shopper’s denim wardrobe. —Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025

The singer brought some sparkle in a black jacket and miniskirt, both decked out in shiny embellishments. —Catherine Santino, People.com, 7 May 2025

Coco Jones in an ivory tuxedo coat with a train over matching trousers, both covered in chunky embellishment. —Leanne Italie, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2025

What separates the special-edition car from other variants in the Mercedes-AMG GT model line are aesthetic embellishments more than performance enhancements. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 4 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1