embellishment
Americannoun
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embellishments
plural
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an ornament or decoration.
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a fictitious addition, as to a factual statement.
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Music.
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the act of embellishing.
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state of being embellished.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of embellishment
Explanation
Does your cupcake have chocolate icing on top, plus chocolate sprinkles AND a swirl of white chocolate? If so, that swirl of white chocolate is considered an embellishment — an unnecessary decorative detail designed purely to attract you. Also, can we have a bite? Anything can have an embellishment, not just a cupcake; a building can have an unnecessary decorative element, and so can an explanation or a story. There is often a sense of deception implied by the word: it may be a harmless swirl of white chocolate but it can also be a detail designed to fool someone. Real estate agents are experts at adding embellishments to their descriptions of properties that may not be entirely true. Watch out for embellishments.
Vocabulary lists containing embellishment
Just Mercy
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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The Night Circus
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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:
The carpet might have hues of green, but Charlie XCX opted against her signature color for a sophisticated Saint Laurent black gown with a floral embellishment on the front.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Abdullah recounts what he saw plainly, without embellishment.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
This is war writing at its best, brutally and straightforwardly told because the events and deeds Sledge recounts require no embellishment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Titled “Mary Magdalene,” it mixes fact and fiction, as in general seems to be Davis’ wont as a natural-born storyteller, always refining her tale through fabulation and embellishment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Ralph Myers's story of the crime was pretty far-fetched; his knack for dramatic embellishment made even the most basic allegations unnecessarily complicated.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
He has added gold trim to the crown molding, smothered the walls with gold-framed artworks and gold-painted embellishments, placed inch-thick gold coasters on the desk, and lined up gold urns on the mantel.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Whether you’re looking to spruce up weeknight dinners or wow a crowd of guests, be sure to give these embellishments a try.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
“That was fun for me — touching fabrics, looking at trends, embellishments, appliques, everything,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
The collection was punctuated by lace, feathers and embellishments, with the models dressed like showgirls.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026
We have disguises that, perhaps with some embellishments from Tigris’s furry stock, could get us safely there.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
