decorate

verb

dec·​o·​rate ˈde-kə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decorate (audio)
decorated; decorating

transitive verb

1
: to add honor to
decorated commerce with the splendid virtues of honor and loyaltyGeoffrey Household
2
: to furnish with something ornamental
decorate a room with artwork
decorating the Christmas tree
3
: to award a mark of honor to
a soldier decorated for valor
highly decorated war veterans

intransitive verb

: to furnish something with ornamentation
decorating for the party
Choose the Right Synonym for decorate

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

Examples of decorate in a Sentence

I always enjoy decorating the Christmas tree. I decorated my apartment in dark colors.
Recent Examples on the Web Along with spring cleaning, lean into spring decorating with deals on home essentials like the Roku Smart Camera, this Better Homes & Gardens coffee table, and the Walker Edison TV stand that’s more than $100 off right now. Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Owners Joe Lindsay and Emma Brewster offer hearty bagels, sandwiches, and deli sides (and Intelligentsia coffee to boot) in a homey space decorated with vintage photographs and paintings by local artists. Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 21 Mar. 2024 Of course, residents will have access to a slew of exclusive perks, including a private porte-cochère entrance, four swimming pools, and two lobbies decorated with art and furnishings curated by Marino. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 School is still in session, which means lower crowds, and the parks are decorated for the holidays. Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 Each set appears to have been decorated at great expense, in keeping with the characters’ luxe tastes. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 In 2008, the artist began hand-making everyday dinnerware in her home studio in Carroll Gardens, decorating the pieces with floral motifs in a cobalt stain. Nicole Demarco Dalya Benor Caitie Kelly Juan A. Ramírez Monica Mendal Janet Siroto, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Over time, the landscaping planters decorating the pool deck had also become weighed down with more filling and paving than originally designed, increasing the weight load on the slab, according to the presentation. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The dining room is warm and inviting, decorated with semicircular green booths, ribs of wood across the ceiling and half-moon windows, the sort of place that’s as good for date night as a business meal as a family reunion. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin decoratus, past participle of decorare, from decor-, decus ornament, honor — more at decent

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decorate was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near decorate

Cite this Entry

“Decorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

decorate

verb
dec·​o·​rate ˈdek-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decorate (audio)
decorated; decorating
1
: to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
decorate a room
2
: to award a decoration of honor to
decorate a soldier for bravery

More from Merriam-Webster on decorate

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