decorate
pronunciation
How to pronounce decorate in British English:
UK [ˈdekəreɪt]
How to pronounce decorate in American English:
US [ˈdekəreɪt]
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- Verb:
- make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
- be beautiful to look at
- award a mark of honor, as a medal, to
- provide with decoration
Word Origin
- decorate
- decorate: [16] Decorate comes from Latin decorātus, the past participle of decorāre ‘make beautiful’, a verb derived from decus ‘ornament’. Its root, decor-, also produced the adjective decorus ‘beautiful, seemly’, from which English gets decorous [17] and, via its neuter singular form, decorum [16]. Décor is a 19th-century borrowing from French, where it was a derivative of the verb décorer. From the same ultimate source come decent and dignity.=> decent, dignity, decorous
- decorate (v.)
- early 15c., from Latin decoratus, past participle of decorare "to decorate, adorn, embellish, beautify," from decus (genitive decoris) "an ornament," from PIE root *dek- "to receive, be suitable" (see decent). Related: Decorated; decorating.
Example
- 1. So she hires her friend 's daughter to decorate .
- 2. Decorate the place with some inspiring pictures .
- 3. Why did humans begin to decorate themselves and what did this say about wealth , power and identity ?
- 4. Looking for tips to decorate your christmas tree ?
- 5. The school 's successes decorate the halls .