ornament
gb/ˈɔɹnəmənt/ us/ˈɔɹnəmənt/
B1
English
~ 5500
dísz, dísztárgy, karácsonyfadísz, ékesség, büszkeség, díszére válik, díszítőelem, díszítés, ornamentum, díszítőhang, díszít, feldíszít
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
an ornament on [something]
She hung a delicate glass ornament on the highest branch of the Christmas tree.
Egy törékeny üvegdíszt akasztott a karácsonyfa legfelső ágára.
The shelf was covered with little ornaments she had collected on her travels.
A polc tele volt apró dísztárgyakkal, amelyeket utazásai során gyűjtött.
They bought a stone bird ornament for the garden.
Please be careful not to break the porcelain ornaments on the mantelpiece.
The shop window was filled with colorful ornaments and lights for the holidays.
Learner examples
We put many ornaments on our Christmas tree.
Sok díszt tettünk a karácsonyfára.
There is a small bird ornament on the table.
Egy kis madár alakú dísz van az asztalon.
My grandmother keeps her favorite ornaments in a glass cabinet.
He bought a new ornament for the garden.
The children made paper ornaments in art class.
Common mistake:
Learners often say *many decoration* instead of *many decorations* or *many ornaments*. Use *ornaments* when you mean separate small objects. *Decoration* is often uncountable when you speak in general (e.g. *The room needs more decoration*), but *ornament* is a countable object (e.g. *three ornaments*).
Meaning
Small decorative object for display
Collocations
Christmas ornament
|tree ornament
|glass ornament
|garden ornament
|wall ornament
Synonyms
decoration (More general; can be countable or uncountable and not always a small object.)
|
trinket (Suggests a small, often cheap decorative object, sometimes with little value.)
|
bauble (Commonly used for shiny Christmas ornaments or cheap, showy jewelry.)
Antonyms
eyesore (Something very ugly that spoils the look of a place.)
|
clutter (Many unnecessary things that make a place look messy rather than attractive.)
Themes
home
|holidays
|objects
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small thing you put on a tree, table, shelf, or wall to make it look nice, especially at Christmas.
A small decorative object that is added to a room, piece of furniture, or tree to make it look more attractive, especially at Christmas.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
an ornament to [something]
Her integrity and hard work make her an ornament to the legal profession.
Feddhetetlenségével és kemény munkájával a jogászi hivatás díszére válik.
The old library is an ornament to the city, both beautiful and historically important.
A régi könyvtár a város ékessége: egyszerre gyönyörű és történelmileg fontos.
He is widely regarded as an ornament to the university, admired by students and staff alike.
Such dedicated nurses are an ornament to the health service.
Their performance was an ornament to the festival, raising the overall standard of the event.
Learner examples
She is an ornament to her profession.
Ő a szakmája ékessége.
This beautiful old building is an ornament to the town.
Ez a gyönyörű régi épület a város ékessége.
His good work is an ornament to the company.
The doctor is an ornament to the hospital.
The new museum is an ornament to the city.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this as talking about physical objects because of the basic meaning of *ornament*. In this sense, *ornament* is used in formal writing to describe a person or thing that gives honor to a group. It is not about small decorative items.
Meaning
Person/thing adding honor or credit
Collocations
an ornament to the profession
|an ornament to the team
|an ornament to society
|a real ornament to [something]
|a mere ornament
Synonyms
asset (More common; emphasizes usefulness and value, not just appearance or honor.)
|
credit (Often used in similar formal phrases like *a credit to the profession*.)
Antonyms
disgrace (Someone or something that makes a group look bad or ashamed, the opposite of giving honor.)
|
liability (Suggests someone who causes problems or harm for a group instead of adding value.)
Themes
evaluation
|work
|society
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person or thing that makes a group or job look good and respected.
A person or thing that is considered to make a group, profession, or place look good or seem more distinguished.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
ornament on [a building / an object]
The façade is simple, with almost no architectural ornament.
A homlokzat egyszerű, szinte semmilyen építészeti díszítés nincs rajta.
Intricate stone ornaments frame the windows of the cathedral.
A katedrális ablakait aprólékosan faragott kő díszítőelemek keretezik.
The furniture is heavy oak, decorated with carved floral ornaments.
Modernist architects rejected historical ornament in favor of clean lines.
The designer added only a small metal ornament on the door to keep the look minimal.
Learner examples
There is a carved ornament above the door.
Az ajtó fölött egy faragott díszítőelem látható.
The old church has many stone ornaments on the walls.
A régi templom falain sok kőből faragott díszítőelem van.
This style of building has very little ornament.
The table has a leaf ornament on each leg.
The architect used gold ornaments around the windows.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is about decoration that is part of the object itself, not a separate piece you can move. In architecture books, *ornament* often contrasts with *structure* or *function*.
Meaning
Decorative detail on building/object
Collocations
architectural ornament
|carved ornament
|stone ornament
|surface ornament
|ornament in the shape of [something]
Synonyms
decoration (Broad; can refer to any decorative treatment, not only built-in details.)
|
embellishment (Stresses added decorative detail; common in art and design contexts.)
Antonyms
plainness (Lack of decorative detail; simple and without ornament.)
|
minimalism (A style that avoids ornament and extra detail on purpose.)
Themes
art
|architecture
|design
|arts_entertainment
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A design or pattern that is part of a wall, building, or object to make it look more beautiful.
A decorative element that is built into or carved onto a building, piece of furniture, or other object, rather than being a separate movable piece.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
4
díszítés
B2
díszítőhang
C1
Usage pattern:
an ornament in [a melody / a piece]
The singer added delicate ornaments at the end of each phrase.
Az énekes minden frázis végén finom díszítéseket tett hozzá.
In Baroque music, performers were expected to improvise their own ornaments.
A barokk zenében elvárták az előadóktól, hogy saját díszítéseket rögtönözzenek.
The teacher asked the student to play the ornaments more clearly and in time.
Too many ornaments can make the melody sound fussy rather than expressive.
The score marks several ornaments that the pianist had previously ignored.
Learner examples
The violin player uses small ornaments in the melody.
A hegedűs apró díszítéseket használ a dallamban.
In this song, the singer adds many ornaments to the final notes.
Ebben a dalban az énekes sok díszítést tesz hozzá a záró hangokhoz.
Baroque music often has a lot of ornaments.
The teacher shows the student how to play the ornaments slowly.
Without the ornaments, the piece sounds much simpler.
Common mistake:
Learners may think *ornament* here means a physical object. In music, it is a sound—a note or short group of notes—that decorates the main melody. It does not mean the player's jewelry or stage decorations.
Meaning
Decorative musical note(s)
Collocations
musical ornament
|melodic ornament
|vocal ornament
|Baroque ornament
|add ornament to [a melody]
Synonyms
embellishment (Technical music term; often interchangeable, but can also refer more generally to decorative musical effects.)
Antonyms
simplification (Removing extra notes and playing only the basic melody.)
Themes
music
|art
|arts_entertainment
|education
Definition
A special extra note or short group of notes that a musician adds to a main note to make the music more decorative.
A musical note or group of notes, such as a trill, turn, or grace note, that is added to decorate a melody without changing its basic structure.
VERB
C1
5
Usage pattern:
to ornament [something] with [something]
They ornamented the hall with flowers and candles for the wedding.
Virágokkal és gyertyákkal díszítették fel a termet az esküvőre.
The cover of the book is ornamented with an intricate gold border.
A könyv borítóját bonyolult aranyszegély díszíti.
The ceiling was richly ornamented with painted angels and stars.
She likes to ornament her emails with little drawings and symbols.
In this style, simple shapes are heavily ornamented with tiny patterns.
Learner examples
They ornamented the room with lights and flowers.
Fényekkel és virágokkal díszítették fel a szobát.
The door is ornamented with a metal design.
Az ajtó fémmintával van díszítve.
Artists ornament the walls with colorful pictures.
The plate is ornamented with blue lines.
He ornamented the cake with fresh fruit.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *ornament* as a verb when *decorate* would sound more natural. *Ornament* as a verb is correct but less common and more formal. In everyday speech, say *decorate the room* rather than *ornament the room*.
Meaning
To decorate by adding details
Collocations
ornament a room
|ornament the text
|heavily ornamented
|richly ornamented
|ornamented with gold
Synonyms
decorate (More common everyday verb; used in most contexts where *ornament* could be used.)
|
adorn (More formal or literary; often used for people or special objects.)
|
embellish (Emphasizes adding extra detail; in speech and writing, can also mean adding untrue details.)
Antonyms
strip (To remove decoration or extra parts from something.)
|
simplify (To make something plainer, with fewer decorations or details.)
Themes
art
|design
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To add beautiful things or designs to something so that it looks nicer.
To make something more attractive by adding decoration or decorative details.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ornament
IPA
GB/ˈɔɹnəmənt/
US/ˈɔɹnəmənt/
Syllables & stress
or - na - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (or)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ornament
- Plural: ornament, ornaments
Verb
- Base: ornament
- 3rd Person Singular: ornaments
- Present Participle: ornamenting
- Past: ornamented
Word family
Forms
ornaments
noun
ornamenting
verb
ornamented
verb
Core family
ornamental
adjective B2
Related words
ornamentation
noun
ornate
adjective C1
Negative and opposite forms
unornamented
adjective
Advanced or less common
ornately
adverb
Expressions
Christmas ornament
1/kɹˈɪsməs ˈɔɹnəmənt/
fixed phrase
Decoration hung on Christmas tree
A small decoration that you hang on a Christmas tree.
Examples
- We bought new Christmas ornaments for the tree this year.
- The children made paper Christmas ornaments at school and took them home to hang on the tree.
- Be careful when you pack the glass Christmas ornaments; they break easily.
mere ornament
1/mˈɪɹ ˈɔɹnəmənt/
fixed phrase
Only decorative, not functional
Used to say that someone or something is there only to look nice and does not do anything important.
Examples
- She refused to be treated as a mere ornament in the company.
- The committee includes two student members, who are more than mere ornaments and speak actively in meetings.
ornament to the profession
1/ˈɔɹnəmənt tə ðə pɹəfˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
Person who honors their profession
A way to say that someone is a very good member of their job group and makes that job look good.
Examples
- The judge described her as an ornament to the profession.
- Such honest and skilled lawyers are an ornament to the profession.