embellish
/ɛm-/
Group 22Difficulty 1/3
Definition
- (verb)
- To make something more attractive by adding decorative details; to make a story more interesting by adding extra details that are often untrue GRE
Example in Context
The witness had a tendency to embellish his accounts with dramatic flourishes that made separation of fact from fiction nearly impossible.
Synonyms
decorateadornexaggerate
Etymology
To make something more attractive by adding beauty or extra details.
- bellus (Latin) — pretty
Memory Aid
🎨Sounds like “embellish”
When a cat starts to EMBELLISH its fur with glitter, it’s a PURR-fectly sparkly disaster!
Visual Association
✨A cat covered in glitter strutting down the street, drawing gasps for its over-the-top fabulousness.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “embellish” mean on the GRE?
embellish (verb) means “To make something more attractive by adding decorative details; to make a story more interesting by adding extra details that are often untrue”. The witness had a tendency to embellish his accounts with dramatic flourishes that made separation of fact from fiction nearly impossible.
How to remember “embellish” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “embellish” sounds like “embellish”. When a cat starts to EMBELLISH its fur with glitter, it’s a PURR-fectly sparkly disaster!
What are synonyms for “embellish”?
Common synonyms: decorate, adorn, exaggerate.