garnish 1 of 2

noun

Definition of garnishnext
as in decoration
something that decorates or beautifies added a garnish of parsley to the plate before serving it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

garnish

2 of 2

verb

ˈgär-nish How to pronounce garnish (audio)
as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming a chef who never served any dish without first garnishing it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of garnish are adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

Where would adorn be a reasonable alternative to garnish?

In some situations, the words adorn and garnish 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 garnish?

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

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When can deck be used instead of garnish?

The synonyms deck and garnish are sometimes interchangeable, but deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When is decorate a more appropriate choice than garnish?

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

decorate a birthday cake

When is it sensible to use embellish instead of garnish?

The words embellish and garnish can be used in similar contexts, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

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

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 garnish
Noun
Fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig or two. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025 For a summer dinner party, a DIY Spritz Station is perfect: set out recipe cards, garnishes like mint, basil, and citrus, a few base spirits (such as Aperol or elderflower liqueur), sparkling water, and cute drink toppers. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 11 July 2025
Verb
The Trump administration has begun garnishing wages of student loan borrowers in default. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 July 2025 President Donald Trump's Education Department, on the other hand, has moved in recent months to garnish the wages and other benefits of borrowers in default. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for garnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garnish
  1. decoration
  2. decorate
  3. ornamentation
  4. adorn
  5. ornament
  6. garnishment
  7. adornment
Noun
  • To take advantage of all the fall offers, head to your nearest ALDI store and stock up fast—the fall decorations are sure to sell out quickly.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2025
  • The graduating senior was also prom queen who helped with planning activities that included the song playlist and picking out decorations.
    — Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 14 July 2025
Definition of decoration
Verb
  • And once complete, the space will be decorated with murals and other installations by local artists.
    — Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Princess Diana's wedding dress had a 25-foot train Princess Diana's gown, which was crafted in the space of three months, was made with ivory silk taffeta that was dyed and woven ivory (instead of pure white) and decorated with ornate, hand-embroidery, with no less than 10,000 micro pearls.
    — Nicole Briese, People.com, 29 July 2025
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • Told by one of the firm’s senior partners to add ornamentation to the design for a pyramid atop an office building, Wells flatly refused.
    — Henry Wiencek July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
  • That is, minimal ornamentation with an emphasis on modern materials which made construction less expensive.
    — Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
Definition of ornamentation
Verb
  • Harris, along with other guests at the wedding bash, were seen sitting at a long banquet table adorned with red roses.
    — Raven Brunner, People.com, 28 July 2025
  • An Instagram post showed her toes adorned with her own rings—made for fingers.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 July 2025
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Experts believe that rice played a role in rituals that were performed in the cave, which also included fine pottery, shell pendants and ornaments.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
  • Right now, Amazon has marked down window candles, pillow covers, ornaments, and string lights to celebrate Christmas in July.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 10 July 2025
Definition of ornament
Noun
  • Trump’s first administration paused Treasury offset and wage garnishment during the pandemic.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • Efforts to resume collections officially kicked off in May, with the Department of Education (ED) warning that if appropriate steps are not taken to resolve the issue, student loan borrowers will be subject to wage garnishment and could see their credit scores take a significant hit.
    — Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Definition of garnishment
Noun
  • But feathers aren’t the only adornments that ancient animals developed.
    — Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 23 July 2025
  • Tonya Hawkes designs stand in noble contrast to current trends in hectic kitsch adornment including jewels containing shouty, sentimentally overblown messages and imagery.
    — Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Definition of adornment

Browse Nearby Words

garners
garnish
garnished
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Cite this Entry

“Garnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garnish. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on garnish

Nglish: Translation of garnish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about garnish

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