Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of decorate are adorn, beautify, deck, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When might adorn be a better fit than decorate?

The synonyms adorn and decorate are sometimes interchangeable, but adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of decorate?

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

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When can deck be used instead of decorate?

Although the words deck and decorate have much in common, deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When would embellish be a good substitute for decorate?

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

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to decorate?

While in some cases nearly identical to decorate, 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 decorate?

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 decorate The holiday typically includes community tributes and visits to cemeteries to decorate graves with American flags each year on the last Monday in May. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 Less Pressure Slow decorating eliminates the pressure to get things completed quickly, while also removing the push to determine a single decorating style. Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025 Here’s how Southern designers are incorporating yellow in their own projects, plus their tips for decorating with the oft-misunderstood shade. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 May 2025 Howell’s post has received 950 replies so far, many from women sharing their own stories of decorating. Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorate
Verb
  • The inside collar is grey, mimicking the concrete interior structure of the Monster, and is adorned with 1912, the year Fenway Park first opened.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 May 2025
  • At the Fiesta Plaza neighborhood, the world's largest sombrero will adorn the Tipsy Sombrero Bar.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Scout went for an entirely different look in a medium brown georgette gown with a cowl neckline and draping that created a ruching effect across her waist.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 13 May 2025
  • In it, the woman revealed a less-charming side to her boyfriend's routine: his tendency to drape a towel haphazardly over the bathroom rail.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorate. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on decorate

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