embellish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
embellishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
embellished,
past participle, past
-
embellishing
present participle
verb
-
to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn
-
to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail
-
to provide (a melody, part, etc) with ornaments See ornament
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
embellishernoun
-
embellishmentnoun
-
overembellishverb (used with object)
-
reembellishverb (used with object)
-
nonembellishedadjective
-
nonembellishingadjective
-
unembellishedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
embellishsimple
-
embellishessimple
-
have embellishedperfect
-
has embellishedperfect
-
am embellishingprogressive
-
are embellishingprogressive
-
is embellishingprogressive
-
have been embellishingperfect progressive
-
has been embellishingperfect progressive
Past
-
embellishedsimple
-
had embellishedperfect
-
was embellishingprogressive
-
were embellishingprogressive
-
had been embellishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embellish
1300–50; Middle English embelisshen < Anglo-French, Middle French embeliss- (stem of embelir ), equivalent to em- em- 1 + bel- (< Latin bellus pretty) + -iss- -ish 2
Explanation
The word "bell" shows up in the middle of embellish, and bells are something that decorate, or embellish something, making it more attractive. If you embellish speech, though, it can get ugly if you add a lot of details that aren't true. Embellish often has the positive meaning of adding something to make it more handsome or beautifully decorated. But, while adding bells to something looks great at first, after a couple of hours of bells ringing in the ears, what was meant to embellish and beautify can get annoying. That's what can happen when you embellish by adding too many false or exaggerated details to a story. Embellishing with true, colorful details and vivid descriptions is what can really enhance the beauty of a story.
Vocabulary lists containing embellish
List 5
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!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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 Fault in Our Stars
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:
There’s a vocabulary and a shorthand in how characters are depicted in TV series, especially in crime thrillers where the police-procedural aspects are supposed to embellish the characterizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
He was often criticized for an overly defensive style, and accused by some of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
Along with the 13 who told the BBC they were pressured to embellish their evidence or lie, that means the evidence of 15 key prosecution witnesses has now been discredited or undermined.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Four photos from a courtroom appearance she made in August embellish that variant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2025
I was glad the girls were heeding my advice not to embellish because at that moment nothing we could have said would have made things better for them.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
In various chat logs the BBC has seen, the chatbot suggests, affirms and embellishes these ideas.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Though the novel is steeped in research, the island kingdom it portrays predates written records, so Mr. Johnson freely embellishes his intense tale with magic and mythology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
“As he gets older, he embellishes less and simplifies more.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 1, 2022
Hey, it’s television — a medium that regularly exaggerates and embellishes for the public’s entertainment.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2022
Medieval painting, for instance, is to a large extent “applied,” in the sense that it embellishes surfaces which serve other, practical purposes as well—walls, book pages, windows, furniture.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Gray shades embellished with a circular “Hogwarts Express” logo covered all the windows, so visitors can’t see outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Drummers embellished the rhythm of partygoers chanting “Knicks in 5.”
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
She rocked this Veekee James silver corset flowing dress embellished with hudreds of stones and crystals.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
The entire property became a canvas for Pratt’s insatiable artistic impulses, embellished everywhere with paintings and little installations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Celia attempts to protest, but Tsukiko is insistent, taking out one of Celia’s finest gowns, one of few with any color, a deep blue velvet embellished with pale gold.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The governor has faced allegations of embellishing his military record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Padilla spoke up to say that Noem was "exaggerating and embellishing" before being confronted by security.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
Mr Clarke's barrister, Philip Williams, suggested she was embellishing the facts.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025
Scarves, a recurring favorite of Chiuri’s, were ubiquitous for fall, and were in the program notes heralded as “protective, enveloping, and embellishing as required” for a free and worldly woman.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
But when telling Augustus Waters, I painted the rosiest possible picture, embellishing the miraculousness of the miracle.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
