Embellish came to English, by way of Anglo-French, from the Latin word bellus, meaning "beautiful." It's in good company: modern language is adorned with bellus descendants. …

If you embellish a story or statement, you add details that are not completely true in order to make it more interesting:

Definition of embellish verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If you embellish a story, you make it more interesting by adding details which may be untrue. I launched into the parable, embellishing the story with invented dialogue and extra details. …

EMBELLISH definition: to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn. See examples of embellish used in a sentence.

to include extra and elaborate additions: He embellished his signature with a drawing. adorn. to enhance (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions. em•bel′lish•er, n. 1. decorate, …

embellish (ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ) vb (tr) 1. to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn 2. to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail

Dec 14, 2025 · To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, embroider, or even misrepresent or lie.

That's what can happen when you embellish by adding too many false or exaggerated details to a story. Embellishing with true, colorful details and vivid descriptions is what can really enhance …

EMBELLISH meaning: to decorate (something) by adding special details and features to make (something) more appealing or attractive