overembellish

verb

over·​em·​bel·​lish ˌō-vər-im-ˈbe-lish 

overembellished; overembellishing

transitive + intransitive

: to embellish (something) excessively

overembellish a story

He overembellished his accomplishments.

… doesn't overembellish her melody lines as relentlessly as many of her peers do.

—Edna Gundersen et al.

… there is left but little wall surface to give the impression of dignity and serenity which a great structure should convey, so we are tempted to overembellish these buildings with ornament …

—Cass Gilbert

… the sesame blini need work. So do the entrees, which tend to be overworked and overembellished …

—Alison Cook

He's a bit of an intellectual cook, perhaps, and has a tendency to overembellish with too many ingredients.

—S. Irene Virbila

overembellishment

ˌō-vər-im-ˈbe-lish-mənt 

noun

plural overembellishments

Executive chef David Ross has a tendency toward overembellishment. His best dishes are the simplest ones.

—The Boston Herald

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overembellish

• embellish
• hellish
• relish