ornament 1 of 2

ornament

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ornament different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of ornament are adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, and garnish. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

When is it sensible to use adorn instead of ornament?

The synonyms adorn and ornament are sometimes interchangeable, but adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of ornament?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When might deck be a better fit than ornament?

In some situations, the words deck and ornament are roughly equivalent. However, deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

In what contexts can decorate take the place of ornament?

While in some cases nearly identical to ornament, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When can embellish be used instead of ornament?

The words embellish and ornament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to ornament?

Although the words garnish and ornament have much in common, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ornament
Noun
The Sunrise Mall store will have a closing sale that includes 20% off of everything except items already discounted at a higher percentage, Father’s Day and graduation cards and 2025 keepsakes and ornaments. Marcus D. Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2025 The slender figures wear precious garments, enhanced with cabochons and pearls, and adorned with ornaments. Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
Plus, if Saint Laurent’s spring/summer 2025 collection is any indication, businesslike ties will be ornamenting female necks next season. Monica Ainley, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024 Rothschild, neighbors said, maintained a vintage car collection, storing some at his house and others up the street at another property that was ornamented with busts of great thinkers including Raphael and Michelangelo -- and several security cameras. Daniel Miller Los Angeles Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ornament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornament
Noun
  • Lowe’s is the latest store to offer early Halloween decorations, with several new decorations and animatronics from Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 9 June 2025
  • This photo shows the decoration from the cake of Jenita Aguilar's wedding, which is sponsored by the Pope, at her home in Tacloban City, province of Leyte on April 22, 2025, a day after Pope's death.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • After the supplies were unloaded, Qasem Hassan pulled a medical smock over her black jacket and entered a classroom decorated with diagrams of the digestive system.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • These partners don’t just decorate boats with their logos.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • While the painting’s subjects are typically associated with hunting, their strange arrangements and Grotesque ornamentation suggest they were intended for the amusement and entertainment of the lodge’s guests.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Strong lines that team up to form geometric designs, metallic accents, luxe materials like marble and velvet, and eye-catching ornamentation are certainly part of the style's foundation, true.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • In the new version, groups that don’t opt in to the settlement would still have the right to sue members of the wealthy family whose name once adorned museum galleries around the world and programs at several prestigious U.S. universities.
    Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
  • The hats’ modern shape take inspiration from the traditional Panama hat, updated and adorned with wide ribbons — a signature of the Sant Angelo brand.
    Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • From bold patterns to bow adornments to ruffles and shirred detailing, Damson Madder is a go-to for unique dresses that stand out.
    Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
  • The adornments of his life told an unfinished story of an American proud of his Chinese and Black heritage.
    Erika Hayasaki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ornament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornament. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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