garnish 1 of 2

noun

Definition of garnishnext
as in decoration
something that decorates or beautifies added a garnish of parsley to the plate before serving it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

garnish

2 of 2

verb

ˈgär-nish How to pronounce garnish (audio)
as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming a chef who never served any dish without first garnishing it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word garnish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of garnish are adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

Where would adorn be a reasonable alternative to garnish?

In some situations, the words adorn and garnish are roughly equivalent. However, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of garnish?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When can deck be used instead of garnish?

The synonyms deck and garnish are sometimes interchangeable, but deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When is decorate a more appropriate choice than garnish?

While in some cases nearly identical to garnish, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is it sensible to use embellish instead of garnish?

The words embellish and garnish can be used in similar contexts, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of garnish?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of garnish
Noun
Both edibles offer fresh garnishes for daily use or spontaneous hosting. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2025 Spoon Vin Jaune sauce around the vegetables and garnish with chives. —Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
Sea bass carpaccio was garnished with delicate pink garlic blossoms. —Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025 Stir briefly to combine and garnish with a couple blackberries on a pick, or a lime wedge, or both. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for garnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garnish
  1. decoration
  2. decorate
  3. ornamentation
  4. adorn
  5. ornament
  6. garnishment
  7. adornment
Noun
  • The Florida resident reportedly traveled to Washington, D.C., with Trump on Air Force One to assist with the decorations.
    — Raven Brunner, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The second-biggest exporter of Christmas decorations to the US is Cambodia, where factory wages are even lower than China, but Trump also imposed 49% tariffs on the small Southeast Asian nation, before the recent 90-day pause.
    — Marc Stewart, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of decoration
Verb
  • Unlike typical vehicles, this car is designed to be decorated, and Blippi selects colors to personalize it.
    — Annabelle Canela, Parents, 2 May 2025
  • Sargsyan explains that 54% of survey respondents engaged in renovations, and 54% decorated.
    — Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • Across the 20th century, a constellation of Black intellectuals and artists approached fashion not merely as ornamentation but as ontology.
    — Achille Tenkiang, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This shift into ornamentation seems like a natural progression, particularly for Black designers as the Black home is rich in history, aesthetics, and storytelling.
    — Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of ornamentation
Verb
  • Nowadays, however, the ease isn’t a compelling enough reason to adorn our walls with it.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
  • Scott, 34, is the latest musician to adorn the Catalan club’s kit for a La Liga fixture against rivals Madrid as part of their sponsorship deal with Spotify.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Also unveiled are floral ornaments and garlands that haven’t been visible for decades: the result is a grand, wedding-cake-like aesthetic. Inside the building, meanwhile, the grand lobby features restored leaded glass and marble panels; while wooden desks and booths hark back to the 1920s roots.
    — Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Idiomatic ornaments enlivened the repeat sections; these had a particularly exhilarating impact in Variation 5, amid sixteenth notes of already breathtaking effortlessness.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of ornament
Noun
  • The Department of Education will begin collecting federal student loans in default on May 5, having issued a warning that borrowers could be referred to debt collectors, face a garnishment of wages or deal with other mandates to pay back the funds.
    — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Notices about wage garnishment are also expected to go out later this summer.
    — Melissa Noel, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of garnishment
Noun
  • Yet what Caravaggio was really doing circa 1600, with this anti-academic technique, was something perhaps not so out of line with Francis’ approach: stripping the holy narrative of its adornments, to devote himself to the here and now.
    — Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • But at their core, pockets represented functional clothing, and women’s dress was meant to be decorative; these ideas crystallized during the Enlightenment era, which also led to men ditching their heels and more ornate adornments, and instead adopting more sober, standardized dress.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of adornment

Browse Nearby Words

garners
garnish
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Cite this Entry

“Garnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garnish. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on garnish

Nglish: Translation of garnish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about garnish

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