adorn
Americanverb (used with object)
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adorns,
present (3rd person singular)
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adorned,
past participle, past
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adorning
present participle
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:
His signature will soon adorn our paper currency — a presidential first — and his face will appear on coins.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
Nailed on to adorn bedroom walls from Buenos Aires to Barcelona and be splashed across billboards the world over.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 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
The sign saying “Use of this technology is optional,” adorn the security checkpoint entrances.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Surely one reason is an irresistible urge to adorn ourselves and decorate the world around us.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
George Yount, whose name adorns Yountville, wrote of seeing 50 or 60 bears one day, and killing five or six of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The vice presidential seal adorns the wall behind the meeting table.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
It adorns an elaborate “Altar of Sin,” surrounded by classical statuary and shells.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Its red bull’s-eye symbol adorns Target Field, the Target Center arena and the downtown Target Plaza complex that houses the retailer’s headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Through my contacts, a virtual layer of bright colors adorns the buildings, painting each one in the colors of their respective team.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
On the ceiling, a base of sage green is adorned with small stars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
It portrays the young woman in a white gown, seated on a sofa inside a room with red walls adorned with paintings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Joint lead bookrunner and stabilization agent Morgan Stanley adorned its lobbies, elevator banks and turnstiles with SpaceX logos and pictures of Mars.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Masterpieces woven from mulberry silk or pure sheep wool by artisans have adorned imperial courts, museums and luxury homes across the world over the centuries.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
At the front of the hall loomed the wooden ark containing the Torah, its velvet curtain adorned with ornate goldwork.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
We would be sipping ice-cold spritzes at cafés overlooking the Mediterranean, frolicking down cobblestone streets lined with charming boutiques, and marveling at the frescoes and marble sculptures adorning grand cathedrals.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
There are no betting odds adorning the scrolling scoreboard.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
"Unbelievable statues, come and look at them," said the 79-year-old Republican as he admired two new figures adorning the Rose Garden.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
The sight of him adorning an Adidas Originals tracksuit on the touchline was as surprising as anything else out of Parkhead this week.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
Sarah’s wearing a high-waisted mint green chiffon dress paired with a taupe hijab tied short and close to her face, with a chunky white-and-gold necklace, a statement piece, adorning her neckline.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
