# embellish

**Pronunciation:** /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/ · im-BEL-ish

**CEFR level:** B1

**Part of speech:** verb

## Meaning 1: Decoration

To make something more attractive by adding decorative details or fictional elements.

## Examples

- She loved to embellish her stories with dramatic details.
- The architect embellished the facade of the building with intricate carvings.
- He embellished the truth to make his account sound more exciting.

## Meaning 2: Storytelling

To make a story or account more interesting by adding invented details.

## Examples

- He tends to embellish the facts when telling his fishing stories.
- The journalist was accused of embellishing the report.
- Don't embellish your resume with skills you don't have.

## Synonyms

- decorate — To make something look more attractive by adding ornaments.
- ornament — To add beauty or decoration to something.
- adorn — To make something more beautiful or attractive, often with fine details.
- gild — To cover thinly with gold; to make something seem more attractive than it really is, often deceptively.

## Antonyms

- simplify — To make something less complex or complicated.
- strip — To remove a covering, layer, or decoration.
- denude — To remove a covering or outer layer, often leaving something bare.

## Common patterns

- embellish with — To add decorative elements using something specific. — The cake was embellished with sugar flowers and edible glitter.
- embellish something — To make a particular object or concept more attractive or interesting. — The author chose to embellish the ending of the novel.

## Collocations

- embellish a story — She likes to embellish a story with humorous anecdotes.
- embellish a design — The craftsman embellished the design of the furniture with delicate inlays.
- embellish the truth — He was known for embellishing the truth to make himself look better.

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/embellished

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