Synonym Chooser

How is the word beautify different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of beautify are adorn, deck, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

Where would adorn be a reasonable alternative to beautify?

Although the words adorn and beautify have much in common, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

When is deck a more appropriate choice than beautify?

In some situations, the words deck and beautify are roughly equivalent. However, deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When could decorate be used to replace beautify?

The synonyms decorate and beautify are sometimes interchangeable, but decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is it sensible to use embellish instead of beautify?

The meanings of embellish and beautify largely overlap; however, embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

When can garnish be used instead of beautify?

While in some cases nearly identical to beautify, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of beautify?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beautify The murals and sculptures that contribute to Indy's artistic identity don't just beautify the city. Justin L. MacK, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024 Spoiler alert: This is a great opportunity to celebrate our history while beautifying our bleak concrete corridors and boring lawns with native trees and containers of fragrant native shrubs. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024 While beautifying the area, the project also aims to provide insights into the impact of urban green space on human health and the environment. Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 2 Oct. 2024 The goal is to beautify the environment and reduce trash, which can harm fish, birds, sea lions, dolphins and other wildlife. Nhat V. Meyer, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beautify 

Thesaurus Entries Near beautify

Cite this Entry

“Beautify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautify. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on beautify

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