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

He was so into measuring heat that in 1657 he started a private academy, the Accademia del Cimento, where investigators explored various forms and shapes for their thermoscopes, including ornate-looking designs with spiraling cylindrical columns.

From Time

At an ornate altar in her dining room, she made offerings of flowers and apples and lit candles to Santa Muerte.

From ProPublica

The town of Mendocino, with its ocean fogs and ornate Victorian architecture, is an eerie presence in this novel, its otherworldliness intensified by Anna’s desperate recourse to a psychic for help in finding Cameron.

From Washington Post

When the legislature convenes for a possible special session later this year related to coronavirus relief, Filler-Corn is hoping that vaccinations will allow all 100 delegates to return to the ornate House chamber.

From Washington Post

The ornate pipe in question, with its long plunging stem and generous bowl, once belonged to the grandfather of Curdin, the protagonist of “Mundaun.”

From Washington Post

The tomb, though much smaller than the palace, is similarly a vision of ornate twists, arches, and peaks.

From The Daily Beast

Foreign countries bestow ornate gifts on American officials as a sign of courtesy during diplomatic trips.

From The Daily Beast

Entering the theater brings visitors to an ornate lobby with vaulted ceilings, golden walls, and an enormous chandelier.

From The Daily Beast

In 1997, Whit Stillman re-created Studio 54 in its ornate lobby for his film The Last Days of Disco.

From The Daily Beast

Their services have been held in small chapels, ornate synagogues, simple firehouses, and grand cathedrals.

From The Daily Beast

The furnishings and decorations, as in the case of modern playhouses, seem to have been ornate.

From Project Gutenberg

The more it has been made the subject of illustration and imagery, the more finished and ornate have been the comminations in use.

From Project Gutenberg

The third floor front room of his ornate mansion on Brooklyn's Park Slope was dedicated to peaceful thought.

From Project Gutenberg

Her face, under an ornate black hat, was like a great rose full of overlapping curves of florid flesh.

From Project Gutenberg

Yes, it is very handsome, no doubt, but too ornate and pie-crusty for my—taste.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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