bedizen
/bi'daizn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
She decided to bedizen the old hat with far too many gaudy ribbons and plastic jewels.
Definition
- Verb:
- To dress or adorn in a gaudy, showy, or tasteless manner: To decorate or attire someone or something with excessive, flashy, or vulgar ornamentation, often resulting in an overly ostentatious appearance.
- To decorate in a vulgar or tasteless way: To embellish something with decorations that are considered cheap, garish, or lacking in aesthetic judgment.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The stage manager decided to bedizen the set with cheap, glittering fabrics, making it look tacky.
- She was bedizened with so many gaudy jewels that she looked more like a costume than a guest at the formal event.
- Critics argued that the new owners had bedizened the historic building's facade with neon lights, ruining its classic elegance.
Advanced Usage
- "to bedizen oneself": to dress oneself in a gaudy or tastelessly ornate manner.
- For the costume party, he chose to bedizen himself in a mismatched, sequined outfit.
- Used figuratively: to describe something that is overly decorated or embellished in a non-physical sense, such as language or writing.
- The author's prose was bedizened with so many obscure metaphors that the core message was lost.
Variants and Related Words
- Bedizenment (n): The state or result of being bedizened; gaudy adornment.
- The bedizenment of the parade float was overwhelming.
Synonyms
- Adorn gaudily
- Bedeck
- Deck out
- Embellish tastelessly
- Tart up (informal)
Antonyms
- Simplify
- Understate
- Tone down
Notes on Usage
- The word "bedizen" carries a strong negative connotation, implying criticism of the decoration as being in poor taste, vulgar, or excessively flashy. It is not a neutral term for dressing up.
- It is a somewhat literary or formal word and is not commonly used in everyday conversation.
She decided to bedizen the old hat with far too many gaudy ribbons and plastic jewels.
Verb
- dress up garishly and tastelessly
- decorate tastelessly