verb
embellish
ihm-BEH-lihsh
verb
1
To decorate something to make it more attractive.
"The dress was embellished with tiny pearls."
2
To make a story sound more interesting or impressive than it really is, often by exaggerating or adding invented details.
"He tends to embellish his stories every time he tells them."
"She embellished the account of the trip to make it sound more dramatic."
How to Use Embellish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo add extra detail or decoration — literally to an object, or figuratively to a story, sometimes stretching the truth.
Common mistake
When used of a story, it usually implies a gentle exaggeration rather than an outright lie — softer than saying someone 'fabricated' something.
Common pairings
embellish a story
embellish the truth
embellished with detail
Word Forms
embellished past tense, embellishes singular
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The dress was _____ with tiny pearls.
Etymology
From Old French embellir, "to make beautiful", from bel ("beautiful") — the same root as "beauty" and "belle".