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embellish

 - 3 dictionary results

em⋅bel⋅lish

  [em-bel-ish]
Use embellish in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn.
2. to enhance (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions.
Origin:
1300–50; ME embelisshen < AF, MF embeliss- (s. of embelir), equiv. to em- em- 1 + bel- (< L bellus pretty) + -iss- -ish 2

Related forms:
em⋅bel⋅lish⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. decorate, garnish, bedeck, embroider.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To embellish
em·bel·lish   (ěm-běl'ĭsh)   
tr.v.   em·bel·lished, em·bel·lish·ing, em·bel·lish·es

  1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate.

  2. To add ornamental or fictitious details to: a fanciful account that embellishes the true story.


[Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, embelliss- : en-, causative pref.; see en-1 + bel, beautiful (from Latin bellus; see deu-2 in Indo-European roots).]
em·bel'lish·er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

embellish 
c.1340, "to render beautiful," from O.Fr. embelliss-, pp. stem of embellir "make beautiful, ornament," from bel "beautiful," from L. bellus. Meaning "dress up (a narration) with fictitious matter" is from 1447.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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