1
: marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style
He is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompous.—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: elaborately or excessively decorated
an ornate mantle
an ornate townhouse
ornate chandeliers
ornately
adverb
ornateness
noun
Synonyms of ornate
Examples of ornate in a Sentence
She doesn't like ornate jewelry.
an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace
Recent Examples on the Web
From the old mail chute in the lobby to the original grand marble portrait reliefs on the ornate curving staircase, attention to historical preservation adds charm in all the public—and even not-so-public—spaces, like the basement bank safe where the original Coca-Cola recipe once resided.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Kardashian swapped the ornate accessory for teardrop diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Prevost, a surprise to much of the Pope-watching public, stepped out onto the loggia wearing around his neck the ornate, blood-red papal stole that his predecessor had studiously eschewed, and, on his face, a modest smile.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
In addition to the foundational Mission Revival style, Spanish Colonial, Moorish, Gothic, Mediterranean, Japanese, and Chinese influences are prevalent in the ornate labyrinth.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornate
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Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Kardashian swapped the ornate accessory for teardrop diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Prevost, a surprise to much of the Pope-watching public, stepped out onto the loggia wearing around his neck the ornate, blood-red papal stole that his predecessor had studiously eschewed, and, on his face, a modest smile.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
In addition to the foundational Mission Revival style, Spanish Colonial, Moorish, Gothic, Mediterranean, Japanese, and Chinese influences are prevalent in the ornate labyrinth.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornate
Cite this Entry
“Ornate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornate. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
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