beautify

[byoo-tuh-fahy]

See more synonyms for beautify on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object), beau·ti·fied, beau·ti·fy·ing.

to make or become beautiful.

Origin of beautify

First recorded in 1520–30; beauty + -fy

Related formsbeau·ti·fi·ca·tion

[byoo-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] /ˌbyu tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən/, nounbeau·ti·fi·er, nounun·beau·ti·fied, adjective

Can be confusedbeatify beautify

Synonyms for beautify

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adorn, embellish, enhance; bedeck, array.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for beautify

bedeck, decorate, adorn, trim, deck, gild, ornament, embellish, enhance, array, garnish, grace, improve, prettify, glamorize

Examples from the Web for beautify

Historical Examples of beautify

To beautify it is to take away its character of complexity—it is to destroy it.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Now he's going to beautify himself—here's a precious locksmith!'
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens
No effort could be too great or painful to beautify oneself for Him.
The Golden Fountain
Lilian Staveley
I want to beautify Wakefield, and as near as I can remember there is room for improvement.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
Reflect that you may gladden and beautify your lives, or embitter them, according as you now act.
The Home
Fredrika Bremer

British Dictionary definitions for beautify

beautify

verb -fies, -fying or -fied

to make or become beautiful

Derived Formsbeautification (ˌbjuːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən), nounbeautifier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for beautify

mid-15c., "to make beautiful," from beauty + -fy. Intransitive sense, "to become beautiful," is recorded from 1590s. Related: Beautified; beautifying.