From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel.

• IPA: /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/, /ɛm-/

embellish (embellishes, present participle embellishing; simple past and past participle embellished)

1. To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.

   The old book cover was embellished with golden letters

2. (by extension) To enhance by adding something not strictly integral or necessary.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii ↗:

     A Scythian Shepherd, so imbelliſhed
     With Natures pride, and richeſt furniture?
     His looks do menace heauen & dare the Gods,
     His fiery eies are fixt vpon the earth.

3. To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, to embroider.

   to embellish a story, the truth

• adorn
• beautify
• decorate
• deck
• grace
• ornament
• prettify
• See also Thesaurus:decorate

• French: embellir
• German: bereichern, schmücken, verschönern
• Italian: abbellire, agghindare, impreziosire, adornare, infronzolare
• Portuguese: embelezar
• Russian: украша́ть
• Spanish: embellecer

• French: embellir
• German: ausschmücken, verbrämen, schönreden, verschönern, idealisieren, kaschieren
• Italian: imbellettare, abbellire, impreziosire
• Portuguese: embelezar
• Russian: приукра́шивать
• Spanish: adornar