decorate
verb /ˈdekəreɪt/
/ˈdekəreɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they decorate | /ˈdekəreɪt/ /ˈdekəreɪt/ |
| he / she / it decorates | /ˈdekəreɪts/ /ˈdekəreɪts/ |
| past simple decorated | /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/ /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/ |
| past participle decorated | /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/ /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form decorating | /ˈdekəreɪtɪŋ/ /ˈdekəreɪtɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to make something look more attractive by putting things on it
- decorate something with something They decorated the room with flowers and balloons.
- decorate something The cake was decorated to look like a car.
- The family gets together on Christmas Eve to decorate the tree.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- elaborately
- gaily
- heavily
- …
- with
enlarge image[intransitive, transitive] (especially British English) to put paint, wallpaper, etc. on the walls and ceilings of a room or house- I hate decorating.
- decorate something to decorate a room/a wall/a house/an apartment
- We need to decorate the sitting room.
- The sitting room needs decorating.
- These villas come fully furnished and decorated.
- The bedrooms are tastefully decorated.
- decorate something in something The room is decorated in pale blues and greens.
- The dining room is decorated in a modern style.
Collocations Decorating and home improvementDecorating and home improvementHousesTopics Houses and homesb1- refurbish/renovate/ (British English) do up a building/a house
- convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/(especially North American English) apartments/(British English) flats
- extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
- build (British English) an extension (to the back/rear of a house)/(North American English) an addition (on/to something)/(British English) a conservatory
- knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
- knock out/through the wall separating two rooms
- furnish/paint/ (especially British English) decorate a home/a house/an apartment/a flat/a room
- be decorated in bright colours/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
- paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
- hang/put up/strip off/remove the wallpaper
- install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures/(British English) fittings
- build/put up shelves
- lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio
- put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
- do (British English) DIY/carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring
- make home improvements
- add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
- fit/install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
- insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/(especially British English) the loft
- fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking (especially British English) tap/(North American English usually) faucet
- block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink
- make/drill/fill a hole
- hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
- tighten/untighten/loosen/remove a screw
- saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- nicely
- pleasantly
- tastefully
- …
- in
- [transitive] decorate something to be placed on something in order to make it look more attractive synonym adorn
- Photographs of actors decorated the walls of the restaurant.
- [transitive, usually passive] to give somebody an award or medal as a sign of respect for something they have done
- be decorated (for something) She was decorated for her efforts during the war.
- decorated war heroes/veterans
Extra Examples- He was decorated for bravery.
- the most highly decorated unit in the British Army
Oxford Collocations Dictionarypreposition- for
- highly decorated
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘to grace or honour’): from Latin decoratus ‘embellished’ (past participle of decorare), from decus, decor- ‘beauty, honour, or embellishment’.