ornament
Americannoun
-
ornaments
plural
-
an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something to which it is added or of which it is a part.
architectural ornaments.
- Synonyms:
- embellishment
-
a system, category, or style of such objects or features; ornamentation.
a book on Gothic ornament.
-
any adornment or means of adornment.
- Synonyms:
- decoration
-
a person or thing that adds to the credit or glory of a society, era, etc.
-
the act of adorning.
- Synonyms:
- decoration
-
the state of being adorned.
-
mere outward display.
a speech more of ornament than of ideas.
-
Chiefly Ecclesiastical. any accessory, adjunct, or equipment.
-
Music. a tone or group of tones applied as decoration to a principal melodic tone.
verb (used with object)
-
ornaments,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ornamented,
past participle, past
-
ornamenting
present participle
noun
-
anything that enhances the appearance of a person or thing
-
decorations collectively
she was totally without ornament
-
a small decorative object
-
something regarded as a source of pride or beauty
-
music any of several decorations, such as the trill, mordent, etc, occurring chiefly as improvised embellishments in baroque music
verb
-
to decorate with or as if with ornaments
-
to serve as an ornament to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
ornamentationnoun
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ornamenternoun
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superornamentnoun
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overornamentverb (used with object)
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reornamentverb (used with object)
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superornamentverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ornamentsimple
-
ornamentssimple
-
have ornamentedperfect
-
has ornamentedperfect
-
am ornamentingprogressive
-
are ornamentingprogressive
-
is ornamentingprogressive
-
have been ornamentingperfect progressive
-
has been ornamentingperfect progressive
Past
-
ornamentedsimple
-
had ornamentedperfect
-
was ornamentingprogressive
-
were ornamentingprogressive
-
had been ornamentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ornament
1175–1225; < Latin ornāmentum equipment, ornament, equivalent to ornā ( re ) to equip + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English ornement < Old French < Latin, as above
Explanation
An ornament is a decoration. You can also ornament something by making it more beautiful or festive. The most common use of ornament is probably in Christmas ornaments, which decorate a tree. Similarly, any ornament makes something prettier, flashier, or more festive. When you ornament something, you're beautifying, embellishing, or adorning it. Women ornament themselves with makeup. Men ornament themselves with face paint at football games. People ornament their offices with pictures of their families. Different cultures have their own ways of ornamenting themselves and their homes. If something looks boring, why not ornament it?
Vocabulary lists containing ornament
"Macbeth": Act 1 Scene 7
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 26–December 2, 2022
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Unit 4, Whole-Class Learning
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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 foldable risks becoming a premium-priced ornament in the portfolio, imparting badge value but not meaningful growth," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
A hefty Moche nose ornament of gold and silver would have been quite the weight to carry from one’s septum, especially with the intricately intertwined creatures that wrap around its edge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Kevin later gifts his new friend a turtledove ornament after learning the animals represent friendship and love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
On the fourth anniversary of her son's death, on Wednesday, she plans to place an new ornament in his memorial garden at her home, where she likes to sit and chat with him.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Mrs. Dryver brought home the ornament for Lucy.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Before the full-scale war, her small business made outdoor furniture and ornaments such as benches, flower pots and wash basins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Saleh sometimes leads painting workshops where participants can decorate items like ornaments and lampshades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Alison Fure, 68, is petitioning Kingston Council to begin phasing out plastic decorative items, including ornaments, flowers, and windmills, on graves.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Bags of trash, broken Christmas ornaments, useless trinkets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
“Lovely names. They will be beautiful ornaments for my bridge,” said Shukra, examining his fingernails.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
The chapel’s four dissimilar facades—essentially interconnected white surfaces, ornamented and perforated with markedly different patterns of windows and doorways—are topped with a gray, curvaceous concrete roof.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
The show begins with an extensive selection of luxury astrolabes, a technical instrument of engraved and ornamented metal plates and dials used for timekeeping, astronomy and navigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024
The title track opens the bilingual album, launching with RM repeating the album’s title over and over again in a deep, almost militaristic cadence — before exploding into asymmetrical production ornamented by his gothic baritone.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
Then it’s ornamented by a red and silver copter.
From New York Times ● Aug. 21, 2023
While a Stamitz mini-tune might be made up of a handful of notes, Haydn extended the phrase, testing the short-term memory of his listener, then coaxed a slightly altered or ornamented second phrase from it.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Even as she sings about desperation and uncertainty, on “30” Adele’s voice is more supple and purposeful than ever, articulating every consonant and constantly ornamenting her melodies without distracting from them.
From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2021
When ornamenting the glass after the beverage is assembled, Thomas wrote, “It is necessary to display some taste.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2016
I wandered in behind a truck spraying water to suppress the dust and soon encountered Jim Holbrook, 65, who was ornamenting his English bulldog with sunglasses and a tiara of devil’s horns.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2015
Borders can be used in other unexpected ways, too, from edging flat picture frames and ornamenting mats to trimming stair treads and pelmets.
From Architectural Digest ● Aug. 8, 2014
Otto reproduced a number of the tattoos ornamenting the subject’s overmuscled chest, arms, and small and calloused but girlish hands.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
