decorate
verb
dec·o·rate
ˈde-kə-ˌrāt 
decorated; decorating
1
: to add honor to
decorated commerce with the splendid virtues of honor and loyalty—
Geoffrey Household
Geoffrey Household2
: to furnish with something ornamental
decorate a room with artwork
decorating the Christmas tree
3
: to award a mark of honor to
a soldier decorated for valor
highly decorated war veterans
: to furnish something with ornamentation
decorating for the party
Synonyms
Examples of decorate in a Sentence
I always enjoy decorating the Christmas tree.
I decorated my apartment in dark colors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Both clubs have been lavishly decorated in an Art Deco/jazz age style as a tip of the hat to the glory days of supper clubs past.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Per the statement, its hilt is decorated with bronze plates and notches for easy handling.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Each jar was delivered in a ceramic bowl, decorated with lemons and white flowers—as well as a letter written personally by Meghan.
—Isaac Bickerstaff, Glamour, 26 Apr. 2024
Then, decorate with generous swoops and swirls of frosting.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
Its 17 guest rooms are simply decorated and filled with antiques.
—Jennifer Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Following a cocktail hour featuring a set by DJ Isabella Massenet, Sturm invited a host of fashion and beauty’s finest to Torrisi’s main dining room, which was decorated with white tablecloths topped with white orchids, cherry blossoms, and glowing candles for the occasion.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Nestled in the center of the grand foyer sat a large, grand piano decorated with pinkish-peach flowers, and the table tops were garnished with magenta roses and feather-like arrangements.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
She was dressed in a robe decorated in tatreez (Palestinian embroidery), her strength of presence a reminder of her years-long commitment to Palestinian storytelling.
—Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Per the statement, its hilt is decorated with bronze plates and notches for easy handling.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Each jar was delivered in a ceramic bowl, decorated with lemons and white flowers—as well as a letter written personally by Meghan.
—Isaac Bickerstaff, Glamour, 26 Apr. 2024
Then, decorate with generous swoops and swirls of frosting.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
Its 17 guest rooms are simply decorated and filled with antiques.
—Jennifer Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Following a cocktail hour featuring a set by DJ Isabella Massenet, Sturm invited a host of fashion and beauty’s finest to Torrisi’s main dining room, which was decorated with white tablecloths topped with white orchids, cherry blossoms, and glowing candles for the occasion.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Nestled in the center of the grand foyer sat a large, grand piano decorated with pinkish-peach flowers, and the table tops were garnished with magenta roses and feather-like arrangements.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
She was dressed in a robe decorated in tatreez (Palestinian embroidery), her strength of presence a reminder of her years-long commitment to Palestinian storytelling.
—Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decorate
Cite this Entry
“Decorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorate. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decorate
verb
dec·o·rate
ˈdek-ə-ˌrāt
decorated; decorating
1
: to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
decorate a room
2
: to award a decoration of honor to
decorate a soldier for bravery
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share