ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ornate

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɔɹˈneɪt// UK //ɔːnˈeɪt// or·nate Archaic

adj. covered with a lot of complicated decorations. You use this to describe things like buildings or furniture that have many small, beautiful details.

adj. elaborately or excessively decorated with complex patterns and details. Often used to describe architectural styles, furniture, or formal prose.


SIMPLE

The mirror has an ornate gold frame.

CONTEXTUAL

The cathedral is famous for its ornate ceiling, which features hundreds of hand-painted figures and gold leaf.

COMPLEX

While modern design favors minimalism, the Victorian era was defined by ornate interiors where every surface was covered in intricate carvings and heavy fabrics.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin ōrnātus, perfect passive participle of ōrnō (“to equip, adorn”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of orné.

Etymology 2

From Latin ōrnātus, perfect passive participle of ōrnō (“to equip, adorn”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French orner.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'is' or 'looks'.

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