adorn

American  

[uh-dawrn] / əˈdɔrn /

verb (used with object)

1. to decorate or add beauty to, as by ornaments.

   garlands of flowers adorning their hair.

   Synonyms:

   array, bedizen, bedeck, deck, beautify

2. to make more pleasing, attractive, impressive, etc.; enhance.

   Piety adorned Abigail's character.

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adorn British  

/ əˈdɔːn /

verb

1. to decorate

   she adorned her hair with flowers

2. to increase the beauty, distinction, etc, of

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Other Word Forms

• adorner noun
• adorningly adverb
• adornment noun
• nonadorner noun
• nonadorning adjective
• overadorn verb (used with object)
• preadorn verb (used with object)
• readorn verb (used with object)
• readorning adjective
• self-adorning adjective
• superadorn verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of adorn

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adornen, from Latin adōrnāre, equivalent to ad- ad- + ōrnāre “to dress” ( 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.

Example Sentences

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

Smaller versions are also produced by the city's craftsmen and adorn lamp posts, office buildings and homes across the archipelago nation of 116 million which is home to Asia's largest Catholic population.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

You can go crazy with string lights to create an enchanted tree in your backyard or adorn it with some creepy critters — snakes, bats, spiders…you name it — to amp up the scare factor.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2025

Chrysanthemums and Belle-roses adorn the welcoming foyer, creating garlands around marble pillars.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• beautify
• bedeck
• deck
• dress up
• embellish
• grace
• spruce up
• trim