decorate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to furnish or adorn with something ornamental or becoming; embellish.
to decorate walls with murals.
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to plan and execute the design, furnishings, and ornamentation of the interior of (a house, office, apartment, etc.), especially by selecting colors, fabrics, and style of furniture, by making minor structural changes, etc..
Their house is decorated in French Provincial style.
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to confer distinction upon by a badge, a medal of honor, etc..
to decorate a soldier for valor.
verb
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(tr) to make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc
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to paint or wallpaper (a room, house, etc)
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(tr) to confer a mark of distinction, esp a military medal, upon
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(tr) to evaporate a metal film onto (a crystal) in order to display dislocations in structure
Other Word Forms
- overdecorate verb
- redecorate verb
- undecorate verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of decorate
1375–1425; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin decorātus (past participle of decorāre ), equivalent to decor- (stem of decus ) an ornament, splendor, honor ( decent ) + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ahead of Lunar New Year this month, Chinese households typically decorate their doors with couplets - a set of auspicious writings heralding health and prosperity in the new year.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
His fanciful inspirations, construction of his clothing and expressions of affection from his supporters decorate the pages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
Photocopied drawings of jars containing the words I’m thankful for were distributed to everyone who wanted to decorate the tree.
From Slate • Dec. 26, 2025
As a kid rumbling by “the Joey P” in the backseat of my mom’s minivan, I never thought about what it really means to decorate a warship for Christmas.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025
When I was finished writing the letter, I used my Crayola Stampers to decorate the margins.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
