ornate

[ awr-neyt ]

adjective

1. elaborately or sumptuously adorned, often excessively or showily so:

   They bought an ornate Louis XIV sofa.

   Synonyms: lavish, rich, ostentatious, showy

2. embellished with rhetoric; florid or high-flown:

   an ornate style of writing.

ornate

/ ɔːˈneɪt /

adjective

1. heavily or elaborately decorated
2. (of style in writing) overembellished; flowery

Derived Forms

• orˈnately, adverb
• orˈnateness, noun

Other Words From

• or·nately adverb
• or·nateness noun
• unor·nate adjective
• unor·nately adverb
• unor·nateness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornate¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ornātus well-equipped, adorned, originally past participle of ornāre to equip; -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornate¹

C15: from Latin ornāre to decorate

Example Sentences

The singer also shared a photo of the memoir’s cover: a colorful portrait of her mother in an ornate gold frame.

From Los Angeles Times

The ornate turquoise and gold lobby, excellent customer service and plush accommodations with city views make it perfect for any special occasion.

From Salon

A tailor’s space almost always seems to have some kind of mystery brown liquor in an ornate bottle that I imagine is only for people who spend a certain amount of money.

From Los Angeles Times

The ornate and carefully preserved drawings showcase the mysteries of medieval astrology as it intersected with medicine, divination and daily life in the Middle Ages.

From Los Angeles Times

Posters on the streets showed him in various poses, and his likeness covered Hezbollah-branded mugs, buttons, T-shirts and ornate wooden boxes given as gifts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• baroque
• beautiful
• elegant
• embroidered
• fancy
• gaudy
• gilded
• glamorous
• lavish
• magnificent
• opulent
• rococo
• sparkling
• sumptuous