Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of beautify are adorn, deck, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

Where would adorn be a reasonable alternative to beautify?

Although the words adorn and beautify have much in common, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

When is deck a more appropriate choice than beautify?

In some situations, the words deck and beautify are roughly equivalent. However, deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When could decorate be used to replace beautify?

The synonyms decorate and beautify are sometimes interchangeable, but decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is it sensible to use embellish instead of beautify?

The meanings of embellish and beautify largely overlap; however, embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

When can garnish be used instead of beautify?

While in some cases nearly identical to beautify, 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 do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of beautify?

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 beautify Venus in Leo wants to beautify your sanctuary. Usa Today, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2025 Muralist Kian Dubay, of Pittsburgh, traveling with fellow artist Phil Seth, beautified a dingy basketball goal north of the Valparaiso Creates Center on Indiana Avenue. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025 The town has wanted to reuse the long-empty fabric mills, partly as a way to build Rockville’s economy and partly as a way to beautify that section of town. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025 This organization cleans parks by picking up trash and beautifying spaces. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautify
Verb
  • Families can enjoy painting a watercolor on the terrace with local artist Nancy Willis or a cookie-decorating class with Pastry Chef Celine Plano.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Its reversible design offers you the unique opportunity to decorate with the seasons—the lighter side for spring and summer and the darker to capture the moodiness of fall and winter.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Dainty gold buckles adorn the soft suede straps that will hold your feet firmly in place, and the square toe design offers room for your toes to sit comfortably without feeling squished.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The father-son duo both towered over Hargitay, adorning casual clothing in snaps taken from their visit.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beautify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautify. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

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