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
Le Corbusier in particular strove for functionality and was opposed to unnecessary ornament. Sofia Celeste, WWD, 20 Mar. 2025 My 10 more proficient Spanish immersion classmates moved alongside me in Bogota’s world-famous four-story Gold Museum (Museo del Oro), which houses more glittery pre-Hispanic gold artifacts — the elaborate 2,000-year-old nose ornaments are to die for — than anywhere else on Earth. Norma Meyer, Orange County Register, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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 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, 28 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ornament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ornament
Noun
  • The Florida resident reportedly traveled to Washington, D.C., with Trump on Air Force One to assist with the decorations.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The second-biggest exporter of Christmas decorations to the US is Cambodia, where factory wages are even lower than China, but Trump also imposed 49% tariffs on the small Southeast Asian nation, before the recent 90-day pause.
    Marc Stewart, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • It’s tastefully decorated without sacrificing comfort, with stunning natural accents and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.
    Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Score more of Howard’s decorating tips in The Waterfront House: Living with Style on the Coast, on sale April 22.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Across the 20th century, a constellation of Black intellectuals and artists approached fashion not merely as ornamentation but as ontology.
    Achille Tenkiang, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This shift into ornamentation seems like a natural progression, particularly for Black designers as the Black home is rich in history, aesthetics, and storytelling.
    Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Aparicio’s late grandmother, Maria de la Paz Torres Aparicio, handcrafted dolls adorned with clothes that people left behind during the war.
    Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Today, The Dwarika’s spans 2.5 acres and features 80 rooms and suites, each one adorned with original woodwork, handcrafted furnishings and thoughtful Nepalese details.
    Livia Hengel, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In a statement, Romanian officials said the ancient adornments included two fibulae, or brooches, and one bracelet.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The drop-waist skirt of the floor-length dress featured a bevy of feathery adornments, adding textural juxtaposition as well as a 1920s vibe to the garment.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ornament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ornament. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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