embellish

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.
  2. To enhance by adding something not strictly integral or necessary.
  3. To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, embroider, or even misrepresent or lie.

Pronunciation

/ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/ /ɛm-/ en-us-embellish.ogg

Word forms

embellish embellishes embellishing embellished

Etymology

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

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