What does decorate mean?
To decorate is to make a person, place, or thing more attractive or festive by adding ornaments, colours, or embellishments — hanging bunting at a party, trimming a Christmas tree, or furnishing a room with care. In British English the word has a second everyday meaning: decorating a house means painting and wallpapering it, so a Brit might say they spent the bank holiday decorating the spare room, where an American would say they painted it. The verb also appears in formal contexts to mean conferring a medal or other honour on someone, as in 'a soldier decorated for bravery'. Derived forms include decoration, decorator, decorative, and the adjective decorous, all stemming from the same root. Warm, celebratory, and domestic in its most common uses, decorate belongs to conversations about homes, holidays, and design, while its military sense lends it occasional ceremonial gravity.
To add ornamental items or details to something in order to make it more attractive or festive.
"They decorated the stage with balloons and streamers for the school play."
The most common sense worldwide; takes the object being adorned as its direct object.
(British English) To paint, paper, or otherwise refurbish the interior of a room or building.
"We're decorating the kitchen next month, so the walls will be bare for a week."
Chiefly British; Americans would typically say 'painting' or 'redoing' the room.
To award a medal or other honour to someone, especially for bravery or distinguished service.
"The pilot was decorated for her actions during the rescue mission."
Usually used passively ('was decorated'); formal register.
When you decorate your home, you're literally following Roman etiquette — the word traces back to Latin 'decor', the root of 'decorum' and 'decorous'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decorate
Decorate comes from the Latin verb 'decorare', meaning 'to adorn' or 'to embellish', itself derived from the noun 'decor', meaning beauty, grace, or propriety — the same root that gives English the words 'decorum' and 'decorous'. It entered English in the sixteenth century, initially carrying senses relating to grace and fitness before settling into its modern ornamental meaning. Cognates and derivatives such as decoration, decorative, and decor share this Latin ancestry.
Related word forms
How decorate is actually used
In American English, 'decorate' almost always refers to adding ornaments; repainting a room would more likely be described as 'painting' or 'remodelling'. In British English, saying you are 'decorating the bedroom' commonly means painting or wallpapering it. The honour sense ('decorated with a medal') carries a formal register in both varieties. The noun 'decoration' covers both the ornaments themselves and the act or the honour awarded.
Easily confused with decorate
'Designate' means to officially assign a role or name to someone, whereas 'decorate' means to adorn something or award an honour.
'Decorticate' is a rare medical verb meaning to remove the outer layer (cortex) of an organ, unrelated to ornamenting.