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
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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
He was 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. 21, 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
But rather than update what was there, Irvine saw an opportunity to add a greater contrast with the more festive waltz in the prior room as well as to embellish the Mansion’s tale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
I was glad the girls were heeding my advice not to embellish because at that moment nothing we could have said would have made things better for them.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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
To ensure that no one embellishes or sensationalizes their stories, I’m going to ask them to sign an honor code.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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
The more expensive bag - a size 25, was embellished with rhinestones on the clasp and trim - went for nearly seven times the starting bid.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Recent decisions, including deals to sell apparel embellished with Mickey Mouse or NFL logos, have raised eyebrows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole is a paradigm, a human institution possessed of a life of its own, self-regenerating, touched all around by human meddle but constantly improved, embellished by it.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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
Scarves, a recurring favorite of Chiuri’s, were ubiquitous for fall, and were in the program notes heralded as “protective, enveloping, and embellishing as required” for a free and worldly woman.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
When Miles explained things that happened at school, embellishing small facts and details, I’d jump in and correct him.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
