1
: marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style
He is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompous.—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: elaborately or excessively decorated
an ornate mantle
an ornate townhouse
ornate chandeliers
ornately
adverb
ornateness
noun
Synonyms of ornate
Examples of ornate in a Sentence
She doesn't like ornate jewelry.
an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace
Recent Examples on the Web
The result was a gorgeously ornate solid-body guitar, featuring the titular animal under the bridge in mother-of-pearl.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026
The head of a federal arts commission is proposing the more ornate Corinthian style for the nearly 200-year-old columns at the building’s front entrance.
—Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Her glamorous dress featured a plunging sweetheart neckline, bustier, peplum waist, and ornate stone and crystal embroidery.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
When one steps through its doors, they are transported into an ornate palace that seems to exist outside of time.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ornate
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Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026
The head of a federal arts commission is proposing the more ornate Corinthian style for the nearly 200-year-old columns at the building’s front entrance.
—Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Her glamorous dress featured a plunging sweetheart neckline, bustier, peplum waist, and ornate stone and crystal embroidery.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
When one steps through its doors, they are transported into an ornate palace that seems to exist outside of time.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ornate
Cite this Entry
“Ornate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornate. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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