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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of embellishing
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inch by inch, the AI aids the person in embellishing the delusion.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embellishing
Adjective
-
Five centuries on, and designers have come full circle, returning to small, utilitarian spaces to make big decorative statements.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Washing and disinfecting decorative pumpkins removes fungal spores and will slow that process down.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This exercise revealed Janelle wasn’t exaggerating.—
Albert Kim,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Retailing for $1,073 and available in purple, black, brown, highlighter yellow and red, the Metal Dragon boot has become one of Windowsen’s most recognizable designs, known for exaggerating scale and structure.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
-
The mantelpiece is the perfect stage for fall decorating, offering an easy way to bring autumn indoors with rustic vibes and warm hues.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
-
How soon is too soon to kick off fall decorating?—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Add ornamental onions to flower beds and edible onions near tomatoes to keep squirrels away.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Sep. 2025
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Four Petal Flowers Ornamental Textile At the time of restoration, there were no records describing the production process for the ornamental textiles with their pattern of four petal flowers.—
Isabelle Kliger,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wright’s Laura is convinced that Cooke’s Cherry is hiding something, but is that just boy mom paranoia coloring her perspective, or is something seriously shady happening?—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Try coloring, building with blocks, or doodling beside a younger child.—
Kelsey Mora,
CNBC,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Where Old-World Wallpaper Works Best Historically, wallpaper began adorning cupboard interiors and modest rooms of merchant homes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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And for years running up to the current era, this has applied to sponsors adorning cars and tracks with their logos.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mahomes is also padding his long list of sponsors, partnering with Airbnb and Hublot and agreeing to autograph Panini trading cards for the first time in five years.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Still, after whupping the White Sox 10-4 on Thursday night, Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger asserted that there's no shame in padding the record against low-quality competition, which is objectively true.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Moraes developed computer models to simulate draping a sheet on both a 3D human form and a bas-relief carving to test which version most closely matched the figure preserved in the shroud.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 Aug. 2025
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The Plains Cree designer, who just graduated from Parsons, continued with his recurring use of ribbons and feathers—this time draping colorful ribbons in avant-garde silhouettes that were reminiscent of Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen looks (two of his biggest muses).—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Embellishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embellishing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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