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 ornate vehicle holding the coffins is white and green, according to footage from Reuters. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

The ornate dress hit just above the ankle, revealing a pair of metallic gold pumps with a lustrous finish. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026

Spend an afternoon wandering through each of its horticultural wonders, from the impressive Great Lawn to the ornate Sunken Garden. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Opened in 1901, the ornate behemoth in Center City, built in the style of the Second Empire, remains a showstopper today. — Regan Stephens, New York Times, 2 July 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