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bejewel

American  
[bih-joo-uhl] / bɪˈdʒu əl /

verb (used with object)

bejeweled, bejeweling, bejewelled, bejewelling
  1. to adorn with or as if with jewels.


bejewel British  
/ bɪˈdʒuːəl /

verb

  1. (tr) to decorate with or as if with jewels

"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

Etymology

Origin of bejewel

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + jewel

Explanation

To bejewel something is to decorate it with sparkly gems. You could make your plain tote bag more exciting if you bejewel it with shiny sequins and beads. You might bejewel a young friend's crown so she'll look more like a queen in her Halloween costume, or you could use a hot glue gun and bejewel some barrettes for your sister, who loves to dress in sparkly gowns. The word bejewel dates from the 1500s, with the jewel part rooted in the Old French word jouel, "ornament," possibly from the Latin jocus, "pastime," or in Vulgar Latin, "that which causes joy."

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Vocabulary lists containing bejewel

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:

Through six editions now, their clear, planed prose has proved an essential reference for Angelenos in search of all the treasures that bejewel L.A.’s rumpled topography.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 11, 2023

Yet so strong are her sublimation abilities that the beads of sweat appear to bejewel her.

From New York Times Nov. 15, 2018

This past season, the franchise with enough World Series rings to bejewel a small army failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year.

From New York Times Nov. 5, 2014

But Daniel Wende of Germany, you cannot bejewel a gladiator outfit.

From Time Feb. 16, 2010

They are fighting to honor thee now, With Victory and Peace to bejewel thy brow.

From Memorial Day and Other Verse by Reed, Helen Leah

The bejeweled event on the French Riviera has become a crucial stop for filmmakers and movie stars to elevate a film’s credibility and bolster its appeal ahead of awards season.

From The Wall Street Journal May 23, 2026

In a bejeweled white pantsuit and towering stiletto pumps, Megyn Kelly tried to work the crowd like a rock star.

From Slate May 6, 2026

She stunned fashionistas in a diamond skeleton gown, with skin-toned mesh underneath, the bejeweled bones showing to the tips of her fingers.

From Barron's May 5, 2026

On top of its rarity and quality, this Pikachu Illustrator card had been placed in a bejeweled case on a diamond necklace and was worn by Paul at WWE WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 17, 2026

Katniss, the girl on fire, has left behind her flickering flames and bejeweled gowns and soft candlelight frocks.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

That’s a lot of friendship bracelets and bejeweling.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 9, 2024

“Candidates for scythehood, will you accept the judgment of the MidMerican bejeweling committee?” he asked—as if it were possible not to accept their decision.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

The three chosen apprentices were called one by one by Scythe Mandela, who presided over the bejeweling committee.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

“The bejeweling committee has studied your apprenticeships,” Scythe Mandela announced to them, although it was meant more for the entire conclave.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

“I have friends on the bejeweling committee. The boy is smart, but too quick to anger. It’s a fatal flaw that cannot be tolerated.”

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

A palette of pastel mint green and baby pink was showcased, with bejewelled satin trouser suits and sparkling evening gowns.

From BBC Jan. 29, 2026

But after Nawat called for security to intervene, the besashed Bosch staged a walkout flanked by Miss Iraq, who wore a bejewelled floor-length robe.

From Barron's Nov. 6, 2025

His opulent ivory and gold ensemble - created by designer Prabal Gurung - complete with a feathered bejewelled turban, trended in India for weeks.

From BBC May 31, 2025

Saturday's parade - the climax of the five-day festival that closes Sunday - saw participants donned in jet black wigs and bejewelled jumpsuits shake their way down the main street.

From Reuters Jan. 7, 2023

After visiting the shrine, I took a photograph of the monks with their long trumpets, their bejewelled clarionets and their drums.

From Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 by Howard-Bury, Charles Kenneth

He described watching a raincloud float in and burst like a confetti cannon above the hangars to the east while the sun sparked like an elevated train over the western parking lot, bejewelling car windshields.

From The New Yorker Feb. 12, 2017

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