beautify

American

[byoo-tuh-fahy] / ˈbyu təˌfaɪ /

verb (used with or without object)

beautified, beautifying

to make or become beautiful.

Synonyms:

array , bedeck , enhance , embellish , adorn

beautify British

/ ˌbjuːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən, ˈbjuːtɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to make or become beautiful

"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

Other Word Forms

beautification noun
beautifier noun
unbeautified adjective

Etymology

Origin of beautify

First recorded in 1520–30; beauty + -fy

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.

Consider the mockery Shakespeare received from Robert Greene, a fellow playwright, who called him “an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers.”

From The Wall Street Journal

LA28 piloted its volunteer program through events with Shine LA, Mayor Karen Bass’ initiative to beautify L.A. ahead of the Games, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

From Los Angeles Times

"The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic-preservation law and recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and restore pre-existing statues," the National Park Service in a statement.

From BBC

Banks are also beautifying their books through “significant risk transfers,” or SRTs, that shift potentially dodgier assets off balance sheet.

From Barron's

Countless acts of love had gone into maintaining and beautifying the lodge.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023