Standard Lemma guide

embellish

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/
  • /ɛm-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 M B EH1 L IH0 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The old book cover was embellished with golden letters

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To enhance by adding something not strictly integral or necessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, embroider, or even misrepresent or lie.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to embellish a story, the truth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

make more beautiful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fancify, beautify, prettify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: better, improve, amend, ameliorate, meliorate

Narrower terms: groom, neaten, dress, curry, dress up, window-dress, spruce up, spruce, titivate, tittivate, smarten up, slick up, spiff up, polish, smooth, smoothen, shine, become, suit

5

verb

Meaning 5

add details to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: embroider, pad, lard, aggrandize, aggrandise, blow up, dramatize, dramatise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: overstate, exaggerate, overdraw, hyperbolize, hyperbolise, magnify, amplify

Narrower terms: glorify

6

verb

Meaning 6

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Decorate the room for the party
  • beautify yourself for the special day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decorate, adorn, grace, ornament, beautify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: wreathe, encrust, incrust, beset, braid, embroider, broider, stick, illustrate, garland, fledge, flight, spangle, bespangle, foliate, flag, caparison, bard, barde, dress up, bead, pipe, applique, gild the lily, paint the lily, vermiculate, smock, hang, prank, tinsel, tart up, stucco, redecorate, panel, bejewel, jewel, fillet, filet, scallop, bedizen, dress ship, trim, garnish, dress, deck, bedight, bedeck, festoon, enamel, inlay, lacquer, gild, begild, engild, illuminate, emblazon, blazon, color, colour, fringe, fret, landscape

7

verb

Meaning 7

be beautiful to look at

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Flowers adorned the tables everywhere

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deck, adorn, decorate, grace, beautify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

Narrower terms: ornament

History

Etymology

From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel.

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: ëmbelsoj — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Arabic: جَمَّلَ (jammala) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Arabic: زَخْرَفَ (zaḵrafa) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Arabic: وَشى — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Armenian: զարդարել (zardarel) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Bulgarian: украсявам (ukrasjavam) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Bulgarian: разкрасявам (razkrasjavam) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 美化 (měihuà) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 修飾 /修饰 (xiūshì) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Czech: ozdobit — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Czech: zdobit — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Czech: zkrášlit — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Czech: vyzdobit — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Dutch: verfraaien — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Finnish: somistaa — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Finnish: kaunistaa — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Finnish: koristella — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • French: embellir — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • German: bereichern — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • German: schmücken — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • German: verschönern — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Greek: διακοσμώ (diakosmó) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Greek: στολίζω (stolízo) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Hungarian: díszít — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Hungarian: szépít — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Ido: beleskar — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Irish: maisigh — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Italian: abbellire — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Italian: agghindare — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Italian: impreziosire — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Italian: adornare — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Italian: infronzolare — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Japanese: 飾る (kazaru) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Malayalam: അലങ്കരിക്കുക (alaṅkarikkuka) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: maihi — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: whakarārakai — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: whakarākai — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: whakarākei — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: whakahaumako — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Māori: whakangako — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Persian: آراستن (ârâstan) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Portuguese: embelezar — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Quechua: achalay — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Russian: украша́ть (ukrašátʹ) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Russian: укра́сить (ukrásitʹ) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Scottish Gaelic: sgeadaich — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Spanish: embellecer — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Spanish: hermosear — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Swedish: försköna — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Swedish: förfina — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Swedish: utsmycka — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Turkish: süslemek — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Turkish: güzelleştirmek — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Ukrainian: прикраша́ти (prykrašáty) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Ukrainian: прикра́шувати (prykrášuvaty) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Ukrainian: прикра́си́ти (prykrásýty) — to make more beautiful and attractive
  • Arabic: جَمَّلَ (jammala) — to make sound or look better
  • Arabic: زَخْرَفَ (zaḵrafa) — to make sound or look better
  • Chinese Mandarin: 點綴 /点缀 (diǎnzhui) — to make sound or look better
  • Chinese Mandarin: 修飾 /修饰 (xiūshì) — to make sound or look better
  • Czech: přikrášlit — to make sound or look better
  • Finnish: kaunistella — to make sound or look better
  • Finnish: parannella — to make sound or look better
  • French: embellir — to make sound or look better
  • German: ausschmücken — to make sound or look better
  • German: verbrämen — to make sound or look better
  • German: schönreden — to make sound or look better
  • German: verschönern — to make sound or look better
  • German: idealisieren — to make sound or look better
  • German: kaschieren — to make sound or look better
  • Greek: εξωραΐζω (exoraḯzo) — to make sound or look better
  • Hungarian: szépít — to make sound or look better
  • Hungarian: kiszínez — to make sound or look better
  • Italian: imbellettare — to make sound or look better
  • Italian: abbellire — to make sound or look better
  • Italian: impreziosire — to make sound or look better
  • Japanese: 尾鰭を付ける (ohire-o tsukeru) — to make sound or look better
  • Māori: maihi — to make sound or look better
  • Māori: whakamōmona kōrero — to make sound or look better
  • Māori: whakahaumako — to make sound or look better
  • Portuguese: embelezar — to make sound or look better
  • Russian: приукра́шивать (priukrášivatʹ) — to make sound or look better
  • Scottish Gaelic: sgeadaich — to make sound or look better
  • Spanish: adornar — to make sound or look better
  • Spanish: atildar — to make sound or look better
  • Spanish: embellecer — to make sound or look better
  • Swedish: försköna — to make sound or look better
  • Swedish: utsmycka — to make sound or look better