deck 1 of 2

noun

ˈdek How to pronounce deck (audio)
Definition of decknext
as in balcony
a flat roofless structure attached to a building the family usually ate on the deck on summer evenings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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deck

2 of 2

verb

as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming deck the halls with boughs of holly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of deck are adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When can adorn be used instead of deck?

In some situations, the words adorn and deck are roughly equivalent. However, 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 deck?

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

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When could decorate be used to replace deck?

The meanings of decorate and deck largely overlap; however, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is embellish a more appropriate choice than deck?

The synonyms embellish and deck are sometimes interchangeable, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to deck?

While the synonyms garnish and deck are close in meaning, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of deck?

Both 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

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 deck
Noun
Tri-deck superyacht with a sundeck pool and beach club, offering space and elegance for larger groups. —Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 16 May 2026 Whereas only a handful of tarot decks were being published in the early 1970s, today thousands of tarot and oracle decks are in circulation. —Ziv Epstein, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Verb
The youth greeters were decked out in white and robin’s egg blue outfits that matched the paint job of the iconic presidential plane. —Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Trevor is a lanky, handsome Pacific Northwesterner duly decked out in flannel and denim. —Matt Thompson, SPIN, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for deck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deck
  1. balcony
  2. decorate
  3. porch
  4. adorn
  5. terrace
  6. drape
  7. trim
Noun
  • But, the grande dame here is the two-bedroom Alii Royal suite ($26,000 a night) with an open living and dining space, a formal seating area, a library, and three private balconies.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026
  • The building’s original interior — including one of the largest courtrooms in the state, a decorative wall, ceiling paintings, small wood balconies and patterned floor coverings — were restored in the early 2000s through the Texas Historical Commission’s program.
    — Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
Definition of balcony
Verb
  • For families The kids club is tucked away in a garden, with its own pool and water slide as well as a jungle gym and craft classes (like lantern-making, coconut leaf art, and seashell bracelet decorating) for children up to age 12.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026
  • Caramel popcorn shaped and colored decorated the booths like sculpture.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • One prompted stories of an old cowboy sitting alone on a porch, surveying a ghost town; another prompted stories about a sun rising over a meadow, where tiny creatures awakened and started to frolic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
  • Southerners love a porch, and on that porch, there must be hanging baskets.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Definition of porch
Verb
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba is mesmerizing in space, and dynamic playmakers adorn every level of this Seahawks roster.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • These desserts are presented on an artful seasonal tower adorned with soft greenery and foliage.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Don't miss the lemon granita at Da Alfredo in Lingua, dinner on the waterfront terrace of Porto Bello, and a stay at the luxe Capofaro Resort.
    — Nicky Swallow, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
  • The rooms Called casitas, the standard rooms here are closer in size to suites in other hotels—they're 925 square feet—and each one comes with airy outdoor terraces or patios populated with comfy daybeds and lounge chairs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
Definition of terrace
Verb
  • Halsey, ethereally draped in sheer white fabric, barely strayed from her post, receiving a steady procession of old friends throughout the night.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 May 2026
  • Towering campaign images of Bella Hadid draped in Chopard diamonds wrap portions of the driveway, turning the arrival itself into a luxury advertising campaign.
    — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Definition of drape
Verb
  • Cut off and discard the leaves, then remove any brown spots and trim the ends.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 14 May 2026
  • The rising cost of fuel and groceries has trimmed their choices to the necessities.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Definition of trim

Phrases Containing deck

Browse Nearby Words

decisiveness
deck
decked
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Cite this Entry

“Deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deck. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of deck for Spanish Speakers

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