1 ornate | Definition of ornate

ornate

adjective
or·​nate | \ ȯr-ˈnāt How to pronounce ornate (audio) \

Definition of ornate

1 : marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompousThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
2 : elaborately or excessively decorated an ornate mantle an ornate townhouse ornate chandeliers

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Other Words from ornate

ornately adverb
ornateness noun

Examples of ornate in a Sentence

She doesn't like ornate jewelry. an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace

Recent Examples on the Web

All sit atop concrete, though two are more ornate with orange frames and painted paw-print concrete beneath. Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, "Constitution Green Dog Run: Park is a pup paradise in downtown Orlando," 23 Aug. 2019 What is the point of this ornate, ahistorical violence? Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Quentin Tarantino’s Ultimate Statement on Movie Violence," 2 Aug. 2019 The production is a bit more ornate and the songs reflect another decade of hard living, but this is a Silver Jews record in all but name, and a very good one. Mark Richardson, WSJ, "‘Purple Mountains’ Review: A Poet of Comic Desperation," 10 July 2019 The makeup was a little less ornate, with all the attention focused on the models' eyes. Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Chanel's Cruise Show Will Be Your Go-To Summer Beauty Inspiration," 3 May 2017 Rows of tables and plastic chairs face an ornate wooden pulpit, or bimah. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "The Message of Measles," 26 Aug. 2019 Deaf pupils at a school in Nicaragua, having never shared a language with anyone before, created a grammatically ornate sign language on their own. The Economist, "A new book spells out the magic of language," 22 Aug. 2019 Next up will be the replacement of the marquee, returning the ornate design of 1927 and improving on the original with use of LED bulbs and other 21st century technology, officials said earlier. Anna Beahm | [email protected], al, "Refurbished Alabama Theatre sign makes its debut," 22 Aug. 2019 The panther imitated famous movie stars, rode in a massive pink stretch limo, and attended the premiere of the very film being introduced in an ornate movie theater. Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "The artistry of the late Richard Williams, from Roger Rabbit to the Pink Panther," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ornate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ornate

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ornate

Middle English ornat, from Latin ornatus, past participle of ornare to furnish, embellish; akin to Latin ordo order — more at order

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More Definitions for ornate

ornate

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of ornate

: covered with decorations : covered with fancy patterns and shapes
: using many fancy words

ornate

adjective
or·​nate | \ ȯr-ˈnāt How to pronounce ornate (audio) \

Kids Definition of ornate

: decorated in a fancy way The traditional costume includes an ornate headdress.

Other Words from ornate

ornately adverb
ornateness noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on ornate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ornate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ornate

Spanish Central: Translation of ornate

Nglish: Translation of ornate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ornate for Arabic Speakers