embellish

[em-bel-ish]

verb (used with object)

1. to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn.

   Synonyms: embroider, bedeck, garnish, decorate

2. to enhance (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions.

embellish

/ ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ /

verb

1. to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn

2. to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail

3. to provide (a melody, part, etc) with ornaments See ornament

Other Word Forms

• embellishment noun
• embellisher noun
• nonembellished adjective
• nonembellishing adjective
• overembellish verb (used with object)
• reembellish verb (used with object)
• unembellished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of embellish¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of embellish¹

C14: from Old French embelir, from bel beautiful, from Latin bellus

Example Sentences

But they returned to the huge and gorgeously embellished basilica above.

Read more on BBC

So she kept making them, encouraged by the rave reviews: A chocolate cake for Escoto’s 24th birthday, airbrushed in psychedelic blue and green and embellished with gummy bears.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He embellished much about his biography in the run-up to his election to Congress in 2022.

Read more on BBC

These, too, are performances, and the more they embellish their fictional tales of war-torn Portland and bloodthirsty antifa marauders, the more comically visible the protesters grow.

Read more on Salon

Four photos from a courtroom appearance she made in August embellish that variant.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adorn 
• bedeck 
• dress up 
• embroider 
• exaggerate 
• festoon 
• gild 
• overstate 
• spiff up www.thesaurus.com