adorn
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to decorate
she adorned her hair with flowers
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to increase the beauty, distinction, etc, of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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adornernoun
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adornmentnoun
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nonadornernoun
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overadornverb (used with object)
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preadornverb (used with object)
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readornverb (used with object)
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superadornverb (used with object)
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nonadorningadjective
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readorningadjective
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self-adorningadjective
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adorninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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adornsimple
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adornssimple
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have adornedperfect
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has adornedperfect
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am adorningprogressive
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are adorningprogressive
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is adorningprogressive
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have been adorningperfect progressive
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has been adorningperfect progressive
Past
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adornedsimple
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had adornedperfect
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was adorningprogressive
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were adorningprogressive
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had been adorningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adorn
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adornen, from Latin adōrnāre, equivalent to ad- ad- + ōrnāre “to dress” ( see ornate); replacing late Middle English aourne, from Middle French, from Latin
Explanation
To adorn is to dress something up by decorating it. You might adorn your poncho with fringe or your poodle's dog collar with rhinestones. Adorn shares some Latin roots with words like ornament and ornate. So it makes sense that some people adorn their Christmas trees with tinsel and lights. Others adorn their eyelids with glitter. In any case, if you want to adorn yourself with all kinds of fabulous baubles, it might be wise to follow Coco Chanel's advice: take at least one accessory off before you walk out the door.
Vocabulary lists containing adorn
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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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:
In Boston, a team of workers stuck pieces of tape over the Gillette logos that usually adorn some of the 64,000-plus seats in the venue where the New England Patriots play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
“That picture was made, not to conceal, or destroy the apple; but to adorn, and preserve it. The picture was made for the apple—not the apple for the picture.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Awards for outstanding cuisine adorn Rozafa's shelves and pictures of famous diners, including Priscilla Presley and Boris Johnson, line its walls.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
It will adorn luxury hotels and residences across the Middle East, Europe and the United States, where the Vietnam-based Jonathan Charles furniture company has largely shrugged off US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
Abstruse calculations, geometric forms and algebraic terms, unusual correlations—all have been used to adorn the silliest drivel.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Working with the Kastrati family, a large Albanian business owner whose name adorns gas stations around the country, they put together a deal to buy land on the peninsula.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
The same girl also adorns Banksy’s record-holding, $25.4 million “Love is in the Bin,” a work that was half-shredded when it first came to Sotheby’s in 2018 and was resold again three years later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The vice presidential seal adorns the wall behind the meeting table.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
Schauffele's picture adorns the entrance to the gents loos in the media centre.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025
“The first is buried with Papa, the second went to the grave with Mama, and the third adorns my brother’s hand. But I desperately want it for myself.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Tied to the mast of his ship as he and his crew pass the singing sirens, adorned on the jagged rocks at sea, Odysseus screams out with pain and desire.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
As the event begun, fans adorned in Swift memorabilia climbed city scaffolding and cheered for anyone who walked past.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“The estate is adorned with thousands of hand-selected vintage Chicago bricks and a mix of reclaimed materials that define its unmistakable character,” a previous listing description revealed.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
A sign hung on a nearby clothing rack, adorned with the brand’s trademark baby-pink heart, said the fitting rooms were closed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Paintings of old white men adorned the walls, and here and there an ancient-looking bust of someone with a beard stared emptily from an inlet.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
There are no betting odds adorning the scrolling scoreboard.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
An attempt to impress the Chairwoman by adorning a space at the club in colonial chic backfires.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
The viral "ugly-cute" Labubu dolls have taken the world by storm, adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Blackpink's Lisa and Dua Lipa.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
The vast glass-domed exhibition space became a wonderland, with pink weeping willows and oversized toadstools adorning the runway.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026
Frankie nodded toward the skull-lamps adorning the walls.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
