ornament
Americannoun
-
ornaments
plural
-
an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something to which it is added or of which it is a part.
architectural ornaments.
- Synonyms:
- embellishment
-
a system, category, or style of such objects or features; ornamentation.
a book on Gothic ornament.
-
any adornment or means of adornment.
- Synonyms:
- decoration
-
a person or thing that adds to the credit or glory of a society, era, etc.
-
the act of adorning.
- Synonyms:
- decoration
-
the state of being adorned.
-
mere outward display.
a speech more of ornament than of ideas.
-
Chiefly Ecclesiastical. any accessory, adjunct, or equipment.
-
Music. a tone or group of tones applied as decoration to a principal melodic tone.
verb (used with object)
-
ornaments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ornamented,
past participle, past
-
ornamenting
present participle
noun
-
anything that enhances the appearance of a person or thing
-
decorations collectively
she was totally without ornament
-
a small decorative object
-
something regarded as a source of pride or beauty
-
music any of several decorations, such as the trill, mordent, etc, occurring chiefly as improvised embellishments in baroque music
verb
-
to decorate with or as if with ornaments
-
to serve as an ornament to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
ornamentationnoun
-
ornamenternoun
-
superornamentnoun
-
overornamentverb (used with object)
-
reornamentverb (used with object)
-
superornamentverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ornamentsimple
-
ornamentssimple
-
have ornamentedperfect
-
has ornamentedperfect
-
am ornamentingprogressive
-
are ornamentingprogressive
-
is ornamentingprogressive
-
have been ornamentingperfect progressive
-
has been ornamentingperfect progressive
Past
-
ornamentedsimple
-
had ornamentedperfect
-
was ornamentingprogressive
-
were ornamentingprogressive
-
had been ornamentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ornament
1175–1225; < Latin ornāmentum equipment, ornament, equivalent to ornā ( re ) to equip + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English ornement < Old French < Latin, as above
Explanation
An ornament is a decoration. You can also ornament something by making it more beautiful or festive. The most common use of ornament is probably in Christmas ornaments, which decorate a tree. Similarly, any ornament makes something prettier, flashier, or more festive. When you ornament something, you're beautifying, embellishing, or adorning it. Women ornament themselves with makeup. Men ornament themselves with face paint at football games. People ornament their offices with pictures of their families. Different cultures have their own ways of ornamenting themselves and their homes. If something looks boring, why not ornament it?
Vocabulary lists containing ornament
"Macbeth": Act 1 Scene 7
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!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 26–December 2, 2022
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!
Unit 4, Whole-Class Learning
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:
Trivia, festive family feud with the stars, cookie decorating, ornament making, Christmas caroling, Christmas karaoke, silent discos, Zumba and, of course, movie marathons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
A rare marble sculpture could fetch up to £18,000 at auction after it spent more than seven decades sitting outside, mistaken for a garden ornament.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
"The foldable risks becoming a premium-priced ornament in the portfolio, imparting badge value but not meaningful growth," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
LeBron James is now a fancy hood ornament on a broken-down jalopy.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026
Harren had beggared the riverlands and the Iron Islands alike to ornament his dream.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
This time Trump's focus was on the Oval Office, which he has bedecked with gold ornaments since returning to power last year, and the neighboring Cabinet Room.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The US could reduce tariffs on 77 categories of Chinese goods including fireworks, Christmas ornaments, household goods and sports equipment.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Dr Konyak points to explorers, colonial officials, missionaries and photographers drawn to tattooed faces, ornaments, weapons and headhunting, while the lives behind them often receded from view.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
He started with a $100 machine, making trinkets like Christmas ornaments and puzzles, but has since upgraded to more expensive printers for conquering a range of home repairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Lyra opened the door and found herself in a room lit by one torch, and empty but for a cabinet of mahogany containing some tarnished silver ornaments.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
The clock demurs, making a long, ornamented speech about how the other clocks would think him “too grand” if he became Prof. Ticky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The title track opens the bilingual album, launching with RM repeating the album’s title over and over again in a deep, almost militaristic cadence — before exploding into asymmetrical production ornamented by his gothic baritone.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
The credit as L.A.’s first known muralist goes to Einar Petersen, who ornamented mostly inside walls with historic, storytelling murals ordered up and paid for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
Then it’s ornamented by a red and silver copter.
From New York Times ● Aug. 21, 2023
It was a .12-gauge Savage shotgun, Model 300; a delicately etched scene of pheasants in flight ornamented the handle.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Even as she sings about desperation and uncertainty, on “30” Adele’s voice is more supple and purposeful than ever, articulating every consonant and constantly ornamenting her melodies without distracting from them.
From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2021
When ornamenting the glass after the beverage is assembled, Thomas wrote, “It is necessary to display some taste.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2016
I wandered in behind a truck spraying water to suppress the dust and soon encountered Jim Holbrook, 65, who was ornamenting his English bulldog with sunglasses and a tiara of devil’s horns.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2015
Borders can be used in other unexpected ways, too, from edging flat picture frames and ornamenting mats to trimming stair treads and pelmets.
From Architectural Digest ● Aug. 8, 2014
Otto reproduced a number of the tattoos ornamenting the subject’s overmuscled chest, arms, and small and calloused but girlish hands.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
