emblazon
Americanverb (used with object)
-
emblazons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
emblazoned,
past participle, past
-
emblazoning
present participle
-
to put a design on (a surface) in a prominent place.
The shirt was emblazoned with the company's motto.
-
Heraldry. to put (a design or depiction) on a coat of arms.
-
to proclaim; celebrate or extol.
verb
-
to describe, portray, or colour (arms) according to the conventions of heraldry
-
to portray heraldic arms on (a shield, one's notepaper, etc)
-
to make bright or splendid, as with colours, flowers, etc
-
to glorify, praise, or extol, often so as to attract great publicity
his feat was emblazoned on the front page
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
emblazonsimple
-
emblazonssimple
-
have emblazonedperfect
-
has emblazonedperfect
-
am emblazoningprogressive
-
are emblazoningprogressive
-
is emblazoningprogressive
-
have been emblazoningperfect progressive
-
has been emblazoningperfect progressive
Past
-
emblazonedsimple
-
had emblazonedperfect
-
was emblazoningprogressive
-
were emblazoningprogressive
-
had been emblazoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of emblazon
Explanation
To emblazon is to decorate something with words or symbols. If you're running for student council, you might emblazon t-shirts with your name and hand them out to your classmates. The word emblazon means the same thing as the word blazon, “to depict or paint armor.” Both words have roots in the English word blaze, in the sense of “to make public.” No one uses blazon anymore, and these days you can emblazon anything—not just armor! Colleges and universities frequently sell sweatshirts and hats emblazoned with their logos, for example.
Vocabulary lists containing emblazon
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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!
Pax
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:
Raymond often remarked that he wished he could emblazon the company’s headquarters near Dallas with the words “crude oil” so that employees would never lose focus on “what we’re trying to do here.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
The golden bruins emblazon the state flag and seal, live on in cartoonish effigy as university mascots, and roll off the tip of our tongue in place names like Grizzly Flats and Big Bear Lake.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025
He didn’t emblazon his body with tattoos of revolutionary personalities Che Guevara and Fidel Castro like a great footballer who came after him, the Argentine, Diego Maradona.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 1, 2023
Most of that’s all gone now, and the controller looks a little sleeker for it — even if Turtle Beach had to go and emblazon an ugly REACT-R label on its top.
From The Verge ● Aug. 17, 2022
The people of Pontormo, his native town, were so proud of him, that they sent for him to emblazon the arms of Pope Leo over the gate of their city.
From Fra Bartolommeo by Flora Kendrick
The “Non-GMO Project” butterfly label emblazons more than 55,000 organic and nonorganic products on supermarket shelves today—many of which have no GMO counterpart or couldn’t possibly contain GMOs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2018
A giant mural depicting the Manneken Pis in a jacket and jeans emblazons the side of the museum building.
From Reuters ● Feb. 3, 2017
In Orange County, California, the Voice of OC, emblazons its mission on either side of its masthead: “Give voice to the voiceless” and “Hold people in power accountable.”
From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2016
Florida has a long and rich agricultural history, a bond so ingrained in the state’s identity that the venerated orange emblazons the state’s license plate.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 17, 2016
The result is imagery that emblazons itself on your mind with a fever-dream intensity.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2016
The monument is emblazoned with words meant to represent the service members’ commitment: respect, courage, sacrifice, freedom and honor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Visible everywhere in Pattaya were the men wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the letters SLG, or Shore Liaison Group.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Young people fluttered about, wearing custom white T-shirts emblazoned with the festival’s retro cartoon-style poster art.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In December, Motsepe attended the ANC's national general council meeting, where some delegates wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "PM27" -- a reference to a possible presidential bid in 2027.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The two cards, one a familiar playing card and the other a tarot card emblazoned with an angel, are amongst the papers on the desk.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Or sell out by emblazoning its members’ faces on the most benign everyday items, including lunchboxes, action figures and makeup brands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
The quips literally add insult to injury, defaming the victim immediately after their demise, emblazoning the death with a caption, like a perverse eulogy.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2021
Garber’s style combined realism and fantasy, precise draftsmanship and decorative technique, emblazoning all in vibrant, shimmering colors.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2020
But as Grover points out, Chinese tech companies have been eager to participate in other ways, placing statistics about new diagnoses in prominent places and emblazoning apps with patriotic messages encouraging national unity.
From The Verge ● Apr. 9, 2020
One of the tinctures used in emblazoning arms.
From The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the Science by Anonymous
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.
