Definition

1. Verb:
   • To make more attractive or beautiful by adding decorations or ornaments: The primary meaning of "adorn" is to enhance the appearance of something by adding decorative elements.
   • To serve as a beautiful or fitting decoration for something: "Adorn" can also describe something that naturally or appropriately beautifies or graces a place or person.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • She chose to adorn the cake with fresh berries. (She chose to decorate the cake with fresh berries.)
  • Paintings by local artists adorn the walls of the café. (Paintings by local artists decorate the walls of the café.)
  • She adorned herself with a simple silver necklace. (She decorated herself with a simple silver necklace.)

Advanced Usage

• "to adorn oneself with": to decorate one's own person with something.
  • For the ceremony, he adorned himself with the traditional garments of his office.
• "to be adorned with": to be decorated or embellished by something.
  • The manuscript was adorned with intricate illustrations in the margins.

Variants and Related Words

• Adornment (n): A decoration or ornament.
  • The only adornment in the room was a single vase of flowers.
• Adorner (n): One who adorns (less common).
• Adorning (adj/gerund): Serving to adorn; the act of adorning.
  • The adorning features of the architecture were stunning.

Synonyms

• Decorate: To add something to make more attractive (a very close synonym).
• Embellish: To make more attractive by adding decorative details, sometimes implying added, possibly excessive, ornamentation.
• Beautify: To make beautiful.
• Deck: To decorate or adorn brightly or festively (as in ).
• Grace: To lend beauty or dignity to; to honor by one's presence or with an ornament.

Antonyms

• Disfigure: To spoil the appearance of.
• Mar: To impair the appearance of; to damage.
• Strip: To remove all covering or adornment from.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Adorned in/with": This is the standard prepositional phrase used with "adorn."
  • The queen was adorned in jewels.
  • The book is adorned with gold leaf.

Verb

1. furnish with power or authority; of kings or emperors
2. be beautiful to look at
   • Flowers adorned the tables everywhere
3. make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
   • Decorate the room for the party
   • beautify yourself for the special day