as in decorative
serving to add beauty
the chef tends to overuse sprigs of parsley and other embellishing garnishes on dishes that don't need them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exaggerating
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decorating
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of embellishing
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
While heading to a Late Show With Stephen Colbert appearance with the White Stripes frontman, Scarlett showed off her effortless transitional season style in an olive green jacket with rows of large gold buttons embellishing the front.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
Many arias from the 1800s include repeated verses to give the singers the opportunity to show off their coloratura skills by embellishing the sections of the songs the second time around.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Like the pharaohs and emperors of antiquity, the president weaponizes the past to justify his present actions and future plans, omitting and embellishing events of yesteryear to fit a bellicose agenda.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Like Frey, Lowell was a self-dramatizing fraudster, taking elements of her real life and grandly embellishing them.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
Many fans of the NBA today believe there are too many whistles, players embellishing for fouls, and superstar players conga lining to the free-throw line.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
In Babylonian and Assyrian artworks, too, feathers are often seen covering the bodies of deities or embellishing royal crowns.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
In online chats with ADF members in Cameroon, Chungag falsely claimed to have combat experience in Iraq but appeared to be embellishing his military background to raise his profile in the group, the affidavit says.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
While heading to a Late Show With Stephen Colbert appearance with the White Stripes frontman, Scarlett showed off her effortless transitional season style in an olive green jacket with rows of large gold buttons embellishing the front.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
Many arias from the 1800s include repeated verses to give the singers the opportunity to show off their coloratura skills by embellishing the sections of the songs the second time around.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Like the pharaohs and emperors of antiquity, the president weaponizes the past to justify his present actions and future plans, omitting and embellishing events of yesteryear to fit a bellicose agenda.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Like Frey, Lowell was a self-dramatizing fraudster, taking elements of her real life and grandly embellishing them.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
Many fans of the NBA today believe there are too many whistles, players embellishing for fouls, and superstar players conga lining to the free-throw line.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
In Babylonian and Assyrian artworks, too, feathers are often seen covering the bodies of deities or embellishing royal crowns.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embellishing
Adjective
-
Bedside lanterns, traditional tea pots above the minibar, and authentic decorative pottery fill the room.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Queen Camilla wore a smocked jersey shirtdress in Merida red with a decorative blossom pattern.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The league decided to introduce postgame flop fines in the 2012-13 season where plays were reviewed after games and those individuals were fined for exaggerating contact.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Flopping and exaggerating contact is different.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Her work in adult media informed her decorating decision to restore the home to its former glory and fill it with vintage finds.—
Zoey Goto,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
-
No detail was spared with Louis Vuitton tableware decorating every dining experience from lunches to dinners.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Crops like amaranth, chives, rainbow chard, red lettuces and sweet potatoes will add lovely ornamental value to beds, borders and containers before working a second shift on your dinner plate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
As part of the celebration marking the return of the Preakness, the colors of the race’s winner were painted onto the ornamental weather vane at Pimlico Racecourse for the first time.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Orange and blue start coloring the sky.—
Dana Munro,
Washington Post,
3 May 2026
-
Some activities aligned with a slower approach could include baking, gardening, sitting with your kids and talking or coloring rather than looking at a screen, and putting comfort first.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even children will have perfectly tied bandanas adorning their necks.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
-
She can be seen holding a bouquet of white blooms that complement the flowers adorning her romantic hairstyle.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The stock closed at a record high of $237 — padding out year-to-date gains to 117%.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
-
From his earliest days as an agent, Meredith proudly flouted industry convention while inflating his own reputation and padding his bank account.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Co-chair Nicole Kidman sparkled in a blood-red Chanel gown covered in sequins and draping into a dramatic train.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
-
The result is a nude mesh gown with a draping technique that creates the illusion of serpent scales.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Embellishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embellishing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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