ornate

adjective

or·​nate ȯr-ˈnāt 

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)

2

: elaborately or excessively decorated

an ornate mantle

an ornate townhouse

ornate chandeliers

ornately adverb

ornateness noun

Synonyms of ornate

• baroque
• decorated
• adorned
• extravagant
• ornamented
• gilded
• florid
• loud
• lacy
• overwrought
• gingerbread
• overdecorated

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

The hotel’s wellness focus extends to the bathrooms, which boast walk-in showers, claw-foot soaking tubs, and double-sink marble vanities embellished with ornate gilt mirrors. — Veronica M. Stoddart, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026

More than 140 family members and friends filled the 18th century Victorian house of worship’s wooden pews, iconic for featuring ornate animals carved into their ends. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Hand engraving and ornate craftsmanship have also become more desirable as consumers gravitate toward pieces that feel handmade and deeply personal. — Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 26 June 2026

His poetry is notoriously difficult to translate because of its highly ornate, extended metaphors, which have few easy equivalents in English. — Krupa Shandilya, The Conversation, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ornat, from Latin ornatus, past participle of ornare to furnish, embellish; akin to Latin ordo order — more at order

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ornate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

ornate

adjective

or·​nate ȯr-ˈnāt 

: decorated in a fancy way

ornately adverb

ornateness noun