decorate

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈdɛkəreɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dec‧or‧ate

Verb

Plain form decorate

Third-person singular decorates

Past tense decorated

Past participle decorated

Present participle decorating

A decorated vehicle

1. (transitive & intransitive) If you decorate something, you make it look nice, usually by putting something pretty on it or painting it.

   We're going to decorate our Christmas tree tonight.

   The men sat in large uncomfortable wooden chairs decorated with carvings of flowers.

   The room was brightly decorated.

2. (transitive) If $x$ decorates $y$, $y$ looks nice because $x$ is on or close to it.

   In her room, photos decorated the white walls.

3. (transitive) If you decorate someone, you give them a medal for doing something brave or good.

   He was decorated by the president for saving several men who had been shot.

Related words

• decoration
• decorated
• undecorated
• decorative
• decoratively
• decorator
• redecorate
• redecoration