decorate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to furnish or adorn with something ornamental or becoming; embellish.
to decorate walls with murals.
-
to plan and execute the design, furnishings, and ornamentation of the interior of (a house, office, apartment, etc.), especially by selecting colors, fabrics, and style of furniture, by making minor structural changes, etc..
Their house is decorated in French Provincial style.
-
to confer distinction upon by a badge, a medal of honor, etc..
to decorate a soldier for valor.
verb
-
(tr) to make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc
-
to paint or wallpaper (a room, house, etc)
-
(tr) to confer a mark of distinction, esp a military medal, upon
-
(tr) to evaporate a metal film onto (a crystal) in order to display dislocations in structure
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
decoratesimple
-
decoratessimple
-
have decoratedperfect
-
has decoratedperfect
-
am decoratingprogressive
-
are decoratingprogressive
-
is decoratingprogressive
-
have been decoratingperfect progressive
-
has been decoratingperfect progressive
Past
-
decoratedsimple
-
had decoratedperfect
-
was decoratingprogressive
-
were decoratingprogressive
-
had been decoratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of decorate
1375–1425; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin decorātus (past participle of decorāre ), equivalent to decor- (stem of decus ) an ornament, splendor, honor ( see decent) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Putting up paintings, stringing up lights, and getting some flowers are all ways to decorate a house. When you decorate, you make things look better or at least more interesting. Even an attractively furnished home can be decorated for a holiday or party. That means you dress up your house to celebrate the special occasion. Decorate is also used to describe certain kinds of success. A famous athlete might decorate a gym with trophies and championship rings. We say a person in the military, like a general, is decorated when he or she is given medals for bravery or other accomplishments.
Vocabulary lists containing decorate
Easter Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Making Faces"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux -- William the Conqueror's half-brother -- in 1077 to decorate the new cathedral in his hometown, Bayeux, according to the tapestry's home museum.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Saleh sometimes leads painting workshops where participants can decorate items like ornaments and lampshades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Paint, layer and decorate it to your heart’s desire.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
A social enterprise that helps people decorate their homes with recycled paint, repurposed furniture and recycled materials has been awarded a £400,000 National Lottery grant to help it expand its services.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
She would buy books about motherhood and find a wet nurse and decorate the bedroom.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Rather, she takes a plain white bag and decorates it to the max — an “Easter basket of sorts,” as she describes the final product.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 2, 2026
What if Jesse decorates the house with toilet paper?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
He often takes to the field with painted nails, which he decorates to bond with four-year-old daughter Leila.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2025
But the epiphanic ding! hits her as she’s smoothing a Band-Aid onto her forehead wound, and considers the superhero that decorates it: the Incredible Hulk.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2024
He decorates his apartment, pinning some Japanese prints on the walls, and he sets up a tiny studio—a “cubby-hole”—in the same building as his flat.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
One of English football's most decorated players, Keegan enjoyed spells at Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle during an illustrious playing career.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The State Department also denied entry to Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a decorated Somali referee, turning him away at Miami International Airport in June, citing “vetting concerns.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Excavations uncovered a funerary complex consisting of three limestone burial chambers containing Roman-era mummies and decorated wooden sarcophagi.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
The doorknob-size piece, inlaid with carnelian, agate and lapis lazuli flowers reminiscent of the Taj, exemplifies how even the smallest functional item would be meticulously crafted and decorated in a consistent style in Mughal workshops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
They admired the decorated shells, taking guesses about what sort of universe would hatch from each one.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Krispy Kreme now does 15 to 20 special runs of doughnuts a year, plus a collection for each season, with staff decorating them by hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
And, most importantly, it encouraged consumers to get creative with other aspects of baking: shaping, frosting and decorating.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
Department of Veterans Affairs External link, the holiday was established to honor fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
She works 50-60 hours a week running a business decorating customers' teeth with cosmetic gems, while taking on reception shifts, bar work, festival jobs and selling clothes online.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Her worst mistake is decorating a christening cake in bold red script with the words “In sympathy.”
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
