Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

embellish

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of embellish

1 to add to the interest of by including made-up details

  • the story of the comic marriage proposal was embellished as it passed from one generation to the next in the family
Synonyms of embellish

color, elaborate (on), embroider, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch
Words Related to embellish

dress up, gussy up

amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out)

fudge, hedge

overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate

emphasize, play up, stress

caricature

satirize
Near Antonyms of embellish

belittle, minimize, play down, understate

2 to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming

  • the walls of the French restaurant are embellished with scenes of Parisian life
Synonyms of embellish

adorn, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, deck, decorate, do, do up, doll up, drape, dress, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, festoon, garnish, glitz (up), grace, gussy up, ornament, pretty (up), trim
Words Related to embellish

accessorize, dress up, trap, trick (out)

brighten, freshen, smarten, spruce (up)

boss, chase

braid, embroider, feather, figure, filigree, fillet, flounce, frill, fringe, furbelow, garland, hang, lace, ribbon, swag, wreathe

appliqué, gild, paint

diamond, gem, impearl, jewel, pearl

redecorate, redo
Near Antonyms of embellish

simplify, streamline

bare, denude, dismantle, display, divest, expose, reveal, strip, uncover

uglify
Antonyms of embellish

blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil

Synonym Discussion of embellish

adorn, decorate, ornament, embellish, beautify, deck, garnish 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
decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.
    • decorate a birthday cake
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
, embellish often stressing the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.
    • embellish a page with floral borders
beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.
    • will beautify the grounds with flower beds
deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.
    • a house all decked out for Christmas
garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.
    • an entrée garnished with parsley

Learn More about embellish

  1. See words that rhyme with embellish Dictionary: Definition of embellish Spanish Central: Translation of embellish Nglish: Translation of embellish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of embellish for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up embellish? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

millefleur

having a pattern of small flowers

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. nebulous Lip reading, Brexit, and semantic uncertainty

  2. synergy Mueller files Cohen details.

  3. slumgullion From the broadcast of 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games