adorn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
adorns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adorned,
past participle, past
-
adorning
present participle
verb
-
to decorate
she adorned her hair with flowers
-
to increase the beauty, distinction, etc, of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
adornernoun
-
adornmentnoun
-
nonadornernoun
-
overadornverb (used with object)
-
preadornverb (used with object)
-
readornverb (used with object)
-
superadornverb (used with object)
-
nonadorningadjective
-
readorningadjective
-
self-adorningadjective
-
adorninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
adornsimple
-
adornssimple
-
have adornedperfect
-
has adornedperfect
-
am adorningprogressive
-
are adorningprogressive
-
is adorningprogressive
-
have been adorningperfect progressive
-
has been adorningperfect progressive
Past
-
adornedsimple
-
had adornedperfect
-
was adorningprogressive
-
were adorningprogressive
-
had been adorningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adorn
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adornen, from Latin adōrnāre, equivalent to ad- ad- + ōrnāre “to dress” ( see ornate); replacing late Middle English aourne, from Middle French, from Latin
Explanation
To adorn is to dress something up by decorating it. You might adorn your poncho with fringe or your poodle's dog collar with rhinestones. Adorn shares some Latin roots with words like ornament and ornate. So it makes sense that some people adorn their Christmas trees with tinsel and lights. Others adorn their eyelids with glitter. In any case, if you want to adorn yourself with all kinds of fabulous baubles, it might be wise to follow Coco Chanel's advice: take at least one accessory off before you walk out the door.
Vocabulary lists containing adorn
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Americans of most political stripes unabashedly fly the American flag from their homes and adorn everything from T-shirts to trucks with the red, white and blue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Awards for outstanding cuisine adorn Rozafa's shelves and pictures of famous diners, including Priscilla Presley and Boris Johnson, line its walls.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
For example Queen Anne, a style, can adorn a worker’s cottage, a type.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Blue ribbons symbolising the victims adorn the airport, while letters remembering the dead line the stairways.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
Bowls full of side dishes adorn the table: okra, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, greens, homemade bread.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Abehsera said he struck a deal with local partners, an Albanian conglomerate called Kastrati, whose name adorns gas stations around the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
It was Brown, a Rhode Island blue blood whose name now adorns an Ivy League university, who in 1790 financed Slater’s stolen ideas for a state-of-the-art cotton mill.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
Its red bull’s-eye symbol adorns Target Field, the Target Center arena and the downtown Target Plaza complex that houses the retailer’s headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
A large picture showing him wearing both the colours of the Portugal national team and the yellow of his hometown club as a child adorns a wall outside the academy.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025
There was a visiting cardinal in the glorious tasselled hat which still adorns the notepaper of Wolsey’s College at Oxford.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
But all of that changed with “Yesterday,” which Martin adorned with a string quartet.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
As the event begun, fans adorned in Swift memorabilia climbed city scaffolding and cheered for anyone who walked past.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
It is filled with Americana and features what he calls the “Patriot’s Bar,” a sky-high watering hole adorned with flags from the Revolutionary and Civil war eras.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
An old recording studio, still adorned with a grand piano, now exists more as a lounging space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
At the front of the hall loomed the wooden ark containing the Torah, its velvet curtain adorned with ornate goldwork.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
There are no betting odds adorning the scrolling scoreboard.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
An attempt to impress the Chairwoman by adorning a space at the club in colonial chic backfires.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
"Unbelievable statues, come and look at them," said the 79-year-old Republican as he admired two new figures adorning the Rose Garden.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Speaking on behalf of the Adunni Olorisha Trust, Akinsanya said the carver's "craftsmanship is visible in the ritual figures, majestic pillars, and beautifully crafted roofs adorning many of the shrines".
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026
Frankie nodded toward the skull-lamps adorning the walls.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
