Vocabulary in context
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Adorn
To add beauty or decoration to something.
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Imagine This
Won't you adore your girlfriend if she dresses up nicely and puts on cosmetics and beautiful ornaments? College students usually like dorms that are beautifully decorated.
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Sounds Like
uh-DORN
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Looks Like
A dorm
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Remember This
Adorn is the verb; adornment is the noun form. Both share the idea of decorating; memorize by linking adorn + ornament.
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Other Forms
Adornmentnoun
Adornedadjective/verb
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Connect With
decorate, embellish, ornament, beautify, garnish
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Note
Don't confuse adorn with adore. Adorn means to decorate; adore means to love. Pronounce and spell carefully: adorn (to decorate) vs adore (to love).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The ballroom was adorned with crystal chandeliers and flowing curtains.
- She wore a necklace to adorn her simple black dress.
Synonyms
decorateembellishornamentbeautifyenhance
Antonyms
unadorndisfigure
Etymology
From Old French adorner, from Latin adornare 'to equip, decorate'.
Mnemonic
Add ORNaments.
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Extravagant
adjectiveExceeding what is reasonable or necessary; characterized by lavish, elaborate, or extravagant display.
Exploit
verb (also noun)To make use of something, especially for gain or advantage; to use someone or something in an unethical or unfair way.
Peruse
verbTo read something carefully and thoroughly; to examine in detail.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Embellish
verbTo decorate or add details to something to make it more attractive; also used to mean exaggerating or embellishing a story.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
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