ornament
ornament — noun
1. a decorative object kept mainly to make a place or thing look nicer, not to do a
a decorative object kept mainly to make a place or thing look nicer, not to do a practical job
A glass ornament hung above the fireplace in Nina's apartment.
glass ornament in a room
Leo bought a bird ornament for the shelf by his bed.
bird ornament on a shelf
The stone ornament in the garden looked white after the rain.
On the tree, each silver ornament caught the kitchen light.
Before the move, Grandma wrapped the Christmas ornament in thick socks.
- decoration
broader and more common; it can mean an object, a pattern, or a whole decorative style
- bauble
usually a small shiny ornament, especially on a Christmas tree
- trinket
a small object of little value, sometimes decorative rather than useful
- adornment
more formal and often used for decorative detail rather than one object
文法句型
a glass ornament
a tree ornament
a garden ornament
用法筆記
Usually countable. Common for objects on shelves, trees, tables, or in gardens. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the separate object itself, not decoration as a feature or effect.
常見錯誤
2. decorative detail added to something to improve its appearance, or the use of su
decorative detail added to something to improve its appearance, or the use of such detail
Around the mirror, gold ornament made the hotel lobby feel warmer.
ornament around a mirror
Painted ornament on the ceiling drew guests' eyes toward the front desk.
painted ornament on a ceiling
Without any ornament, the hall looked clean and modern.
Flower ornament above the gate matched the iron shapes along the fence.
The bowl's blue ornament repeated a pattern from the old village temple.
- decoration
the broad everyday word for added visual detail
- adornment
more formal and often used in writing about art, dress, or buildings
- trim
often means a narrow decorative edge on clothes, furniture, or walls
- embellishment
suggests extra detail added for a richer effect, often in more formal style
- plainness
suggests the absence of decorative detail
文法句型
ornament on a ceiling
gold ornament around a mirror
without ornament
用法筆記
Often used in art, design, or architecture contexts, and commonly uncountable. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to a separate decorative object you can place somewhere.
常見錯誤
3. someone or something that brings honour to a place, group, or occasion because o
someone or something that brings honour to a place, group, or occasion because of its good qualities
Maya's calm voice was an ornament to the town's music festival.
be an ornament to + event
The local paper called Professor Lin an ornament to the small college.
call + person + ornament to
At the spring concert, the young singer proved an ornament to the school.
To the small charity, Rosa was an ornament to the whole staff.
Residents still speak of the rose garden as an ornament to the square.
- disgrace
a strong opposite when someone damages a group's reputation
文法句型
an ornament to the city
an ornament to the team
an ornament to society
用法筆記
Formal and often literary. Usually appears in the pattern ornament to + place, group, or occasion. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2, which are about literal decoration.
常見錯誤
ornament — verb
1. to improve the look of something with decorative detail
to improve the look of something with decorative detail
Maya ornamented the cake with thin lemon slices.
ornament something with + detail
Paper lanterns ornamented the path to the school play.
subject can be the decorative items
The children ornamented the cards with stars cut from paper.
Red tiles ornamented the wall beside the church's front door.
A silver border ornamented the edge of the wedding invitation.
- strip
can mean to remove decorative material
文法句型
ornament something with flowers
ornament a cake
ornament a wall
用法筆記
Transitive. The thing being made prettier is the direct object, often followed by with + decorative material. More formal and less common than decorate.