Synonym Chooser

How is the word adorn different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of adorn are beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How do beautify and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of adorn?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

In what contexts can deck take the place of adorn?

The synonyms deck and adorn are sometimes interchangeable, but deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When is decorate a more appropriate choice than adorn?

Although the words decorate and adorn have much in common, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

Where would embellish be a reasonable alternative to adorn?

The words embellish and adorn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

When is it sensible to use garnish instead of adorn?

While in some cases nearly identical to adorn, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How are the words ornament and embellish related as synonyms of adorn?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adorn Creed's installation begins with the eponymous neon sign adorning the building's façade, setting a tone of optimism and playfulness. Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 Tyla Wears Tolu Coker On the eve of the Met Gala, Tyla donned a striking ensemble featuring a voluminous skirt adorned with bold prints in orange, purple, brown, and more styled by Law Roach. Essence, 9 May 2025 The quintessential Southern home isn’t complete without a front porch adorned with a variety of greenery and blooms, but sometimes even those with the greenest of thumbs have trouble keeping plants alive and thriving. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 9 May 2025 Nowadays, however, the ease isn’t a compelling enough reason to adorn our walls with it. Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for adorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adorn
decorate
Verb
  • Followers often applaud her decorating skills, but also worry that living in such a cramped space could impact her health.
    Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • Check out some popular home goods and essentials that are also at Amazon, to help decorate and set up your tiny house, below.
    Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adorn. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on adorn

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