adorn
gb/ədˈɔɹn/ us/ədˈɔɹn/
B2
Inglês
~ 8700
Acepções
0 acepção
Verbo
formal
B2
action
1
Decorate something to beautify it
To make something look more beautiful by adding pretty things to it.
Padrão de uso:
to adorn [something] with [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use *adorn* in very casual speech where *decorate* is more natural (e.g., saying "We adorned the living room" in everyday conversation). In speaking, it is usually better to say "We decorated the living room" and keep *adorn* mainly for more formal writing. Another mistake is saying "adorn to" instead of the correct pattern "adorn [something] with [something]".
Sinônimos
decorate (More common and neutral; used in everyday speech for any kind of decoration.)
|
embellish (Suggests adding decorative details, often more delicate or elaborate than simply decorating.)
Antônimos
strip (Means to remove decorations or coverings, leaving something plain or bare.)
|
deface (Means to damage or spoil the surface or appearance of something.)
Colocações
adorn the walls
|adorn the table
|adorn her hair
|adorn the room
|adorn the building
|adorn with jewels
Temas
art
|home
|fashion
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Exemplos
- Garlands of flowers adorned the entrance to the hall.
- She adorned the cake with fresh berries and mint leaves.
- Tiny lights adorned the trees along the street.
- He adorned his jacket with colorful pins from every country he visited.
- The bride’s hair was adorned with small white roses.
Exemplos para estudantes
- She adorned the room with many flowers.
- Lights adorned the house during the festival.
- They adorned the tree with red and gold balls.
- He adorned his bag with funny badges.
- The walls were adorned with family photos.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
2
Enrich something abstract with details
To make something like a story, speech, or record seem richer or more impressive by adding special details.
Padrão de uso:
to adorn [abstract thing] with [details/features]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this figurative use of *adorn* with *adore* and write sentences like "Her speech was adored with jokes" (incorrect verb). Another problem is using *adorn* when they simply mean *improve* or *develop* an idea; *adorn* keeps the idea of decoration, often suggesting that the added elements are showy or extra rather than essential.
Sinônimos
embellish (Often implies adding decorative or even exaggerated details, especially to stories.)
|
enrich (Focuses on adding depth or quality; less specifically about appearance or showiness.)
Antônimos
simplify (Means to remove complexity or extra detail, doing the opposite of adding decorative elements.)
|
strip down (Means to reduce something to its basic form by removing added features or details.)
Colocações
adorn the story
|adorn the narrative
|adorn the speech
|adorn the text
|adorn his résumé
|adorn the report
Temas
communication
|art
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Her speech was adorned with vivid imagery and personal anecdotes.
- The author adorns his narrative with historical references and quotes from letters.
- The company’s website is heavily adorned with marketing buzzwords.
- His résumé is adorned with awards and impressive job titles.
- The article is adorned with charts and infographics to help explain the data.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Her story was adorned with many small details.
- The teacher’s talk was adorned with jokes.
- His CV is adorned with many prizes.
- The report is adorned with clear pictures and graphs.
- The letter was adorned with kind, warm words.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
adorn
AFI
GB/ədˈɔɹn/
US/ədˈɔɹn/
Sílabas e tonicidade
ad - orn (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (orn)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: adorn
- 3rd Person Singular: adorns
- Present Participle: adorning
- Past: adorned
Família de palavras
Forms
adorns
verb
adorning
verb
adorned
verb
Core family
adornment
noun C1
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unadorned
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expressões
adorn oneself with
1/ədˈɔɹn wˌʌnsˈɛlf wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
Decorate your body with something
To make yourself look more beautiful by wearing or carrying something, such as jewelry, flowers, or fine clothes.
Exemplos
- She adorned herself with gold bangles and a matching necklace.
- Festival-goers adorned themselves with bright face paint and flower crowns.
- He adorned himself with medals before the ceremony.