prettification
Aesthetic enhancement process
Prettification is the act of making something prettier, often superficially.
The word usually carries a dismissive tone, suggesting cosmetic improvement without substance: The downtown renovation was mere prettification—new lampposts and flower boxes while buildings crumbled.
It implies the effort is shallow or masks underlying problems rather than addressing them.
Decorative additions to something
- adornmentDecorative addition or accessory
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- trimmingsExtras that complete something
- accentsRegional speech patterns
garnish · festoon · bunting · tinsel · drapery · frills · finery · trappings
Positive change in quality
- refinementElegance of manner
- polishingSmoothing by friction
- upgradeRaise to higher standard
- touch-upMinor cosmetic correction
makeover · revamp · tidying · grooming · freshening · restoration · renovation · modernization
Deceptive surface presentation
- veneerDecorative outer layer
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- glossShine or annotation
- whitewashingConcealing unpleasant facts
sugarcoating · camouflage · cover-up · masking · gilding · skin-deep
Making more attractive
- stylingArranging for appearance
- compositionArranged elements forming whole
- designPurposeful creative planning
- artistryExceptional creative skill
presentation · arrangement · symmetry · harmony · balance · proportion · contrast · texture
ornamentation
Decorative additions to something
- adornmentDecorative addition or accessory
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- trimmingsExtras that complete something
accents · garnish · festoon · bunting · tinsel · drapery · frills · finery · trappings · flourish
improvement
Positive change in quality
- refinementElegance of manner
- polishingSmoothing by friction
- upgradeRaise to higher standard
touch-up · makeover · revamp · tidying · grooming · freshening · restoration · renovation · modernization · revitalization
window-dressing
Deceptive surface presentation
whitewashing · sugarcoating · camouflage · cover-up · masking · gilding · skin-deep
beautifying
Making more attractive
- stylingArranging for appearance
- compositionArranged elements forming whole
- designPurposeful creative planning
artistry · presentation · arrangement · symmetry · harmony · balance · proportion · contrast · texture · minimalism
prettificationuglification
Making something aesthetically worse
defacement · disfigurement · degradation · vandalism · marring
prettificationbrutal honesty
Unsparing directness in speech
laying bare · demystification · unvarnished truth · exposé · stripping down
pretty, prettify, prettiest, prettier, prettiness, prettily, beautification, unpretty, prettified