embellishing
Making more decorative
Embellishing is adding decorative details or flourishes to something.
You might embellish a story with colorful exaggerations, embellish a dress with beadwork, or embellish a melody with ornamental notes.
The word often carries a whiff of suspicion—embellished accounts may be less than truthful: I think he's embellishing a bit.
Adding visual enhancement
- ornamentingAdding decorative elements
- trimmingCutting away excess
- beautifyingMaking more attractive
- garnishingDecorating food before serving
accessorizing · embroidering · bedecking · festooning · gilding · bejeweling · fancying · prettifying
Describing thoroughly, point-by-point
- ornamentingAdding decorative elements
- flourishingProspering vigorously
- scrollworkSpiral ornamental design
- filigreeDelicate twisted-wire ornamentation
illuminating · calligraphy · gilding · inlay · etching · engraving · tooling · fretwork
Overstating for effect
- elaboratingDeveloping in greater detail
- dramatizingExaggerating emotional impact
- embroideringDecorating fabric with stitches
- overstatingRepresenting as greater than reality
inflating · aggrandizing · fabricating · hyperbole · stretching · coloring · spinning · romanticizing
Decorative additions to something
- trillsRapid pitch alternations
- grace notesOrnamental tones in music
- vibratoOscillating pitch effect
- flourishesProspers or ornamental strokes
runs · cadenzas · arpeggios · melisma · turns · glissando · improvisation · coloratura
adorning
Adding visual enhancement
- ornamentingAdding decorative elements
- trimmingCutting away excess
- beautifyingMaking more attractive
garnishing · accessorizing · embroidering · bedecking · festooning · gilding · bejeweling · fancying · prettifying · decking
detailing
Describing thoroughly, point-by-point
- ornamentingAdding decorative elements
- flourishingProspering vigorously
- scrollworkSpiral ornamental design
filigree · illuminating · calligraphy · gilding · inlay · etching · engraving · tooling · fretwork · tracery
exaggerating
Overstating for effect
- elaboratingDeveloping in greater detail
- dramatizingExaggerating emotional impact
- embroideringDecorating fabric with stitches
overstating · inflating · aggrandizing · fabricating · hyperbole · stretching · coloring · spinning · romanticizing · magnifying
ornamentation
Decorative additions to something
- trillsRapid pitch alternations
- grace notesOrnamental tones in music
- vibratoOscillating pitch effect
flourishes · runs · cadenzas · arpeggios · melisma · turns · glissando · improvisation · coloratura · riffs
- decoratingdecorating, adorning, ornamenting, beautifying, accenting
- sprucing upbeautifying, freshening, freshening up, grooming, primping
- stylizingbeautifying, ornamenting, decorating, enhancing, refining
- actingacting, act, performing, playacting, actor
- getting readyget ready, readying, be prepared, equipping, gear up
- glorificationglorifying, glorification, exalting, exaltation, idolizing
embellishingdefacing
Spoiling an appearance
disfiguring · marring · blemishing · deforming · vandalizing
embellishingsimplifying
Making less complex
stripping · stripping down · paring down · streamlining · reducing
embellishingunderstating
Representing as less significant
downplaying · minimizing · playing down · underplaying · toning down
beautify, embellish, embellishment, unembellished, embellished, beautified, embellishments, beautification, embellishes