adorn

Adorn is a verb meaning to decorate or add beauty to something by applying ornaments or decorative elements. It can refer to tangible objects or spaces, such as rooms, garments, or jewelry, and it can also apply to non-physical things like language, prose, or ceremonies, where embellishment enhances appeal. For example, one might adorn a room with tapestries or adorn a speech with carefully chosen phrases.

Etymology stays with Old French adorner, meaning to ornament or equip, ultimately deriving from Latin ornare “to decorate.” The prefix ad- historically intensifies the action, underscoring the sense of adding decoration toward the object.

Usage notes: Adorn is transitive and typically takes a direct object. The passive form be adorned is common in descriptive writing: “the hall was adorned with chandeliers.” Common collocations include adorn with and adornment with. The related noun adornment refers to the decoration itself, while ornament or decoration can function similarly in many contexts.

Variants and related terms: Adorned and adorning are the usual participles. Adornment (or adornments) is the standard noun for the decorations themselves. In broader usage, adorn often carries connotations of beauty, stylization, or ceremonial elaboration.

See also: ornament, decoration, adornment.