1
Core action
Make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
Example
Carvers embellished the doorway with floral patterns.
embellish
/ɪmˈbelɪʃ/ · em-BEL-ishverb
Make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
Use embellish to express this relationship precisely: make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
What embellish Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common construction
Use this expression in its normal grammatical frame so the relationship between the surrounding ideas remains explicit.
Example
He embellished the anecdote each time he told it.
3
Reasoning effect
It tells the reader how to interpret the timing, scope, evidence, contrast, condition, or consequence in the statement.
Example
The report presents the facts without embellishing them.
Use embellish Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Carvers embellished the doorway with floral patterns.
He embellished the anecdote each time he told it.
The report presents the facts without embellishing them.
Precision Matters
Embellish overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
embellish
vs.Means make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
concise
Means expressing much clearly in relatively few words; brief without omitting what is essential.
embellish
vs.Means make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
disclose
Means reveal or make information known, especially information previously hidden or private.
embellish
vs.Means make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
suppress
Means prevent, restrain, stop, or keep something from being expressed, revealed, or developing.
embellish
vs.Means make something more attractive or interesting by adding decorative or invented details.
anecdote
Means a brief account of a real or purported incident, often interesting or amusing but not necessarily representative evidence.
Test embellish in Context
He adds invented details to make the story more striking.
1
To impress the audience, the witness began to ___ the simple incident with dramatic details that never occurred.