decorating

decorating — verb

1. to put things such as flowers, coloured paper, lights, or other attractive items

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to put things such as flowers, coloured paper, lights, or other attractive items on or around something so that it looks more appealing, often for a celebration or special occasion

Example

The children spent Saturday morning decorating the living room with paper streamers and balloons.

decorate [place] with [items]

Lara decorated her desk with a small plant and a framed photo of her dog.

Common collocations
  • decorate with
  • decorate for
  • decorate in
Synonyms
  • adorn

    more formal and literary; often used for jewellery or clothing: 'a crown adorned with gems'

  • embellish

    can mean adding decorative detail to an object or exaggerating a story; has a slightly creative or artistic feel

  • ornament

    similar meaning but often focuses on architectural or design contexts; less common in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • strip

    to remove decoration: 'they stripped the Christmas tree of its ornaments'

Grammar Patterns

decorate + object + with + noun group

Usage Note

Often used for celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas, or parties. The ornamental items are introduced by 'with': 'decorate the hall with ribbons.' An intransitive use is also common: 'We spent all day decorating for the party.'

Common Mistakes

She decorated her room with new furniture.
She decorated her room with flowers and balloons.
'decorate' means adding ornamental touches, not buying or arranging practical furniture.

2. to change the appearance of a room, house, or building by painting its walls, pu

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to change the appearance of a room, house, or building by painting its walls, putting up wallpaper, or doing similar surface work to make it look fresh or different

Example

Mert and his wife are decorating their new flat before moving in next weekend.

continuous tense: are decorating [place]

Kenji spent the summer holidays decorating his grandfather's old house in the village.

spend time V-ing: spent [time] decorating

Common collocations
  • decorate a room
  • decorate a house
  • decorate in (a colour)
Synonyms
  • redo

    informal and broader: can mean any kind of renovation, not only painting and papering

  • renovate

    more formal and broader: includes structural repairs, new floors, and major changes, not just surface work

Grammar Patterns

decorate + object (room / house)

be decorating (no object when context is clear)

Usage Note

Intransitive when the room or house is clear from the situation: 'We are decorating this weekend.' Transitive when the specific room is named: 'We decorated the hallway.' Not used for furnishing, adding curtains, or choosing soft furnishings — those are separate activities.

Common Mistakes

We decorated the living room with a new sofa and curtains.
We decorated the living room with fresh white paint and wallpaper.
for this sense, 'decorate' refers to painting and papering surfaces, not choosing furniture.

3. to give someone a medal or official honour as a formal way of recognising their

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give someone a medal or official honour as a formal way of recognising their bravery, excellent service, or important achievement, especially in the military or public service

Example

The general was decorated for his bravery during the rescue mission in the mountains.

passive: was decorated for [reason]

Several firefighters were decorated by the mayor after saving the children from the burning building.

passive: were decorated by [authority]

Common collocations
  • decorated for bravery
  • decorated for service
  • decorated soldier
  • decorated veteran
Synonyms
  • honour

    broader meaning; can include non-medal recognition such as awards, titles, or public praise

  • commend

    usually verbal praise or a written citation rather than a physical medal

Grammar Patterns

be decorated + for + reason (bravery, service)

be decorated + with + medal name

decorated soldier/officer (attributive use)

Usage Note

Almost always used in the passive voice ('was decorated') or as an attributive adjective ('a decorated war hero'). The active voice ('The government decorated him') is possible but very rare in natural English.

Common Mistakes

The king decorated him for his loyalty.
He was decorated by the king for his loyalty.
the passive form is far more natural for this sense.

decorating — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words mean adding something to make an object or place more attractive, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Decorate' is the most common everyday word — you decorate a birthday cake, a Christmas tree, or a room. 'Adorn' is more formal and literary; it often suggests jewellery or elegant detail, as in 'a crown adorned with precious stones.' 'Embellish' can refer to adding decorative detail to an object (an embellished frame) or to a story (exaggerating for effect). 'Ornament' is the closest in meaning on paper, but it is used less often as a verb and sounds more technical; you are more likely to hear 'ornamental' (adjective) than 'ornament' (verb) in conversation. For everyday use about celebrations and home decoration, stick with 'decorate.'

decorate ↗adornembellishornament ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • decorate for a party
  • decorate for Christmas
  • home decorating
  • interior decorating

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'decorating' comes from 'decorate', which entered English in the early 1500s from the Latin verb 'decorare', meaning 'to make beautiful, adorn, or honour'. The root 'decus' (genitive 'decoris') means 'ornament, beauty, honour'. The military sense of 'decorating' someone with a medal developed later, in the late 17th century. The related noun 'decoration' appeared around the same time, and the modern noun sense referring to home painting and wallpapering became common in the mid-20th century.