embellish
Americanverb (used with object)
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embellishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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embellished,
past participle, past
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embellishing
present participle
verb
-
to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn
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to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail
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to provide (a melody, part, etc) with ornaments See ornament
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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embellishernoun
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embellishmentnoun
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overembellishverb (used with object)
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reembellishverb (used with object)
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nonembellishedadjective
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nonembellishingadjective
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unembellishedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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embellishsimple
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embellishessimple
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have embellishedperfect
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has embellishedperfect
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am embellishingprogressive
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are embellishingprogressive
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is embellishingprogressive
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have been embellishingperfect progressive
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has been embellishingperfect progressive
Past
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embellishedsimple
-
had embellishedperfect
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was embellishingprogressive
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were embellishingprogressive
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had been embellishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embellish
1300–50; Middle English embelisshen < Anglo-French, Middle French embeliss- (stem of embelir ), equivalent to em- em- 1 + bel- (< Latin bellus pretty) + -iss- -ish 2
Explanation
The word "bell" shows up in the middle of embellish, and bells are something that decorate, or embellish something, making it more attractive. If you embellish speech, though, it can get ugly if you add a lot of details that aren't true. Embellish often has the positive meaning of adding something to make it more handsome or beautifully decorated. But, while adding bells to something looks great at first, after a couple of hours of bells ringing in the ears, what was meant to embellish and beautify can get annoying. That's what can happen when you embellish by adding too many false or exaggerated details to a story. Embellishing with true, colorful details and vivid descriptions is what can really enhance the beauty of a story.
Vocabulary lists containing embellish
List 5
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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The Fault in Our Stars
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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:
Doughnut-decorating robots struggle with seasonal and limited-time designs, so Krispy Kreme employees embellish the sweet treats by hand in an effort to lure younger consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The 48-year-old American has long been a controversial figure, often criticized for an overly defensive style, and accused by some of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
Along with the 13 who told the BBC they were pressured to embellish their evidence or lie, that means the evidence of 15 key prosecution witnesses has now been discredited or undermined.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Four photos from a courtroom appearance she made in August embellish that variant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2025
We listened attentively to see if he was going to embellish the story with more striking details.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
Though the novel is steeped in research, the island kingdom it portrays predates written records, so Mr. Johnson freely embellishes his intense tale with magic and mythology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” McDonagh’s new film, embellishes the cartography without necessarily breaking new ground.
From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2022
Hey, it’s television — a medium that regularly exaggerates and embellishes for the public’s entertainment.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2022
The kitchen embellishes further with sliced potatoes and black truffles.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 4, 2022
Medieval painting, for instance, is to a large extent “applied,” in the sense that it embellishes surfaces which serve other, practical purposes as well—walls, book pages, windows, furniture.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
You’d anticipate moments like that to be embellished with improv, but it’s all tightly scripted.“Of all the TV comedies I’ve worked on, this one has the most already on the page,” says DeYoung.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Gray shades embellished with a circular “Hogwarts Express” logo covered all the windows, so visitors can’t see outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
When she was alive, Wilder herself admitted that her novels were extensively embellished, mainly by her daughter Rose Wilder Lane.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Marty Supreme star Odessa A'zion walked the red carpet wearing an embellished black gown.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
Centuries of carvers had embellished every stone surface with patterns and creatures and seraphim.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
The scandal erupted last month after some academics and media reports accused Arday of plagiarising parts of his doctoral thesis and embellishing his life achievements.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The governor has faced allegations of embellishing his military record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Padilla spoke up to say that Noem was "exaggerating and embellishing" before being confronted by security.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
Pierre et Gilles created the painting in 2023, by first taking a photo of Smith posing before then hand painting and embellishing the image.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024
But when telling Augustus Waters, I painted the rosiest possible picture, embellishing the miraculousness of the miracle.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
