bejewel

American  

[bih-joo-uhl] / bɪˈdʒu əl /

verb (used with object)

bejeweled, bejeweling, bejewelled, bejewelling

1. to adorn with or as if with jewels.

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bejewel British  

/ bɪˈdʒuːəl /

verb

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

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bejewel bejeweled bejeweling bejewelled bejewelling

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

I am going to bejewel my house with books and then I am going to live.

From The Jucklins A Novel by Read, Opie Percival

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

Although the term is clinically obsolete, examples of male peacocking are as close as the nearest bejeweled Patek Philippe, sterling-silver rodeo belt buckle or jumped-up, gold-plated pickup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

I also noticed a tray of golden madeleines with their telltale bumps on the counter, and lusciously swirled pavlovas bejeweled with dark berries capping off a meal.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025

I take a moment to absorb the sight: my bejeweled friend in her intricate ghagra choli—a ball skirt and short blouse of cherry-colored silk embroidered with gold threads and encrusted with tiny beads and pearls.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

That’s a lot of friendship bracelets and bejeweling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2024

It is with bittersweet joy that I watch the bejeweling of new junior scythes at the end of each conclave.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

“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

“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

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

On record sleeves, Rudolph stood out for his flamboyant outfits - a combination of hats and furs accentuated by a bejewelled cane.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2023

Upon closer inspection, fans spotted that his bejewelled eye mask also featured beaded whiskers - another likely reference to Lagerfeld's cat.

From BBC ● May 2, 2023

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

Behind him, with her much bejewelled fingers clasping the back of her consort's chair, was Queen Sê, a pretty little woman, with a pleasant, animated expression of countenance.

From A Modern Buccaneer by Boldrewood, Rolf

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