Word meaning

embellish

verb · em-BEL-ish

What does embellish mean?

Embellish means to make something more attractive by adding decorative details; to add untrue details to a story.

Embellish in a sentence

“My uncle tends to embellish his fishing stories.”

Synonyms for embellish

  • decorate
  • adorn
  • exaggerate

Where does embellish come from?

From Old French embelir, from bel, "beautiful."

How to remember embellish

  • Say it out loud a few times: em-BEL-ish.
  • Write one sentence of your own using embellish, about something that happened to you today.
  • Quiz yourself tomorrow, in three days, and next week. Spaced reviews are what make new words stick.

More words worth knowing

  • complacent — showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
  • juxtapose — to place two things side by side, especially to compare or contrast them.
  • culminate — to reach a climax or point of highest development.
  • nostalgia — a sentimental longing for the past.
  • peripheral — relating to the edge; of secondary importance.
  • intuitive — using what one feels to be true without conscious reasoning; also, easy to use and understand.

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