decorate
gb/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt/ us/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt/
A2
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
make something prettier with decorations
To make something look nicer by putting beautiful things or colors on it.
Usage pattern:
to decorate [something] (with [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *decorate with* without an object, e.g. *We decorated with balloons* when the thing being decorated is not clear. It is more natural to say *We decorated the room with balloons*. Also, do not confuse *decorate* with *build* or *repair*; *decorate* is about appearance, not construction.
Synonyms
adorn (More formal; often used for people, buildings, or objects made more beautiful in an elegant way.)
|
embellish (Suggests adding extra detail or decoration, sometimes more elaborate or unnecessary.)
|
beautify (Focuses on making something beautiful in general, not always by adding objects.)
Antonyms
strip (To remove decorations or coverings, leaving something bare.)
|
deface (To spoil or damage the appearance of something, often in a noticeable way.)
Collocations
decorate a room
|decorate the house
|decorate the cake
|decorate the Christmas tree
|decorate with flowers
|beautifully decorated
Themes
daily life
|home
|art
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They decorated the living room with plants and colorful cushions.
- We spent the afternoon decorating the Christmas tree with lights and ornaments.
- The chef decorated the cake with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
- Flags and balloons decorated the streets during the festival.
- She decorated her notebook cover with stickers and drawings.
Learner examples
- We decorated the room with red and white balloons.
- The children decorated the tree with lights.
- He decorated the cake with chocolate and fruit.
- I want to decorate my desk with photos of my family.
- They decorated the wall with many small pictures.
Verb
B1
action
2
paint or paper interior of a place
To paint and put paper or other coverings on the inside walls and ceilings of a room or house.
Usage pattern:
to decorate [a room / a house]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with simply putting objects in a room. In British English, saying *We’re decorating the bedroom* usually means painting or papering the walls, not placing furniture or hanging pictures. For just adding objects, use the more general sense: *We’re decorating the bedroom with new pictures.*
Synonyms
redecorate (Emphasizes doing the decorating again or changing the style of an already-decorated place.)
|
paint (Focuses only on putting paint on surfaces, not on wallpaper or other decorative work.)
|
refurbish (More general and often more extensive; includes repair and updating, not just decorating.)
Antonyms
leave undecorated (To choose not to paint or improve the interior surfaces of a place.)
|
strip (To remove paint or wallpaper from walls or ceilings, often before redecorating.)
Collocations
decorate the bedroom
|decorate the walls
|decorate the flat
|have the house decorated
|redecorate the kitchen
|interior decorating
Themes
home
|daily life
|work
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- We’re going to decorate the spare room before the baby arrives.
- They spent the summer decorating the flat from top to bottom.
- The landlord agreed to decorate the hallway after the leak was fixed.
- We had the living room decorated in light colors to make it feel bigger.
- It took them two weeks to decorate the kitchen with new paint and tiles.
Learner examples
- We will decorate the bedroom next weekend.
- They decorated the house before they moved in.
- The workers are decorating the office this month.
- We had the walls decorated in white and blue.
- He wants to decorate the living room himself.
Verb
formal
B2
action
3
award someone a medal or honor
To give a person a medal or special award for good work or brave actions.
Usage pattern:
to decorate [someone] (for [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with physically putting decorations on a person’s clothes. When used with words like *soldier*, *officer*, or *hero*, *decorate* usually means to give a medal or honor, not to add ribbons or color for beauty.
Synonyms
honor (General word for showing respect or recognition; not always with a physical medal.)
|
award (Focuses on giving a prize or recognition; not specific to medals or bravery.)
|
decorate with a medal (A longer phrase that makes the action of giving a medal completely explicit.)
Antonyms
strip (of a medal) (To take away someone’s medal or honor, often because of bad behavior or rule-breaking.)
|
ignore (To fail to recognize someone’s achievements or service.)
Collocations
decorated war hero
|highly decorated officer
|decorated for bravery
|decorated for service
|decorated by the president
|officially decorated
Themes
military
|society
|work
|politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The soldier was decorated for bravery after saving his team under fire.
- She was decorated by the president for her work in public health.
- Several firefighters were decorated for their courage during the rescue.
- He is one of the most highly decorated officers in the army.
- The pilot was posthumously decorated for his actions in the mission.
Learner examples
- The soldier was decorated for his brave actions.
- She was decorated by the king for her great work.
- Many police officers were decorated after the event.
- He became a decorated war hero.
- The nurse was decorated for her service during the pandemic.
Grammar
Dictionary form
decorate
IPA
GB/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt/
US/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
dec - or - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dec)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: decorate
- 3rd Person Singular: decorates
- Present Participle: decorating
- Past: decorated
Word family
Forms
decorates
verb
decorating
verb
decorated
verb
Core family
Related words
redecorate
verb
decor
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
undecorated
adjective
Expressions
decorate for
1/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt fɚ/
fixed phrase
decorate for a special occasion
To put up decorations because a special day or event is coming.
Examples
- We usually decorate for Christmas at the start of December.
- The school will decorate for the graduation ceremony on Friday.
- They love to decorate for every holiday.
decorate the Christmas tree
1/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt ðə kɹˈɪsməs tɹˈi/
fixed phrase
put lights and ornaments on a tree
To place lights, balls, and other pretty things on a Christmas tree.
Examples
- The children stayed up late to decorate the Christmas tree.
- We decorate the Christmas tree together every year on December 24th.
- They invited friends over to decorate the Christmas tree and drink hot chocolate.
decorate with
1/dˈɛkɚˌeɪt wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
add particular decorations to something
To make something look nicer by putting specific things on it.
Examples
- We decided to decorate with candles instead of electric lights.
- The hall was decorated with flowers for the wedding.
- You can decorate with photos to make the space feel more personal.