ornate
adjective
or·nate ȯr-ˈnāt 
1
: marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style
is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompous 
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: elaborately or excessively decorated
an ornate mantle
an ornate townhouse
ornate chandeliers
ornately adverb
ornateness noun
Synonyms
- bedizened
- florid
- fussy
- gingerbread
- gingerbreaded
- gingerbready
- overdecorated
- overwrought
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She doesn't like ornate jewelry. an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace
Recent Examples on the Web Of the 19th-century apparel in this selection, the pieces that look most like the clothing of Korea’s neighbors are ornate bridal robes embroidered with images of flowers. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 The grounds are just as ornate as the home’s interior, brimming with fountains, statues, topiaries, two canals and a lagoon. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 There are shots with epic sweep and downtime moments that are casually ornate. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 The dishes are small but ornate in their presentation, placing a premium on colors, flavors and textures. Adam H. Graham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2022 That effort washed away his first-half brilliance like an ornate sand sculpture succumbing to high tide. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 May 2022 After a Confederate monument was stolen from an Alabama cemetery last month, a group now claiming responsibility is threatening to turn the ornate sculpture of a chair into a toilet. Kim Chandler, Star Tribune, 6 Apr. 2021 The two kings used to bear large crosses on their heads, but somewhere along the way they were decapitated, and now look like slightly taller and less ornate queens. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 13 July 2022 The plot grows increasingly ornate, weighed down by Paul’s obsession with fame. Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 See More
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 The grounds are just as ornate as the home’s interior, brimming with fountains, statues, topiaries, two canals and a lagoon. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 There are shots with epic sweep and downtime moments that are casually ornate. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 The dishes are small but ornate in their presentation, placing a premium on colors, flavors and textures. Adam H. Graham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2022 That effort washed away his first-half brilliance like an ornate sand sculpture succumbing to high tide. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 May 2022 After a Confederate monument was stolen from an Alabama cemetery last month, a group now claiming responsibility is threatening to turn the ornate sculpture of a chair into a toilet. Kim Chandler, Star Tribune, 6 Apr. 2021 The two kings used to bear large crosses on their heads, but somewhere along the way they were decapitated, and now look like slightly taller and less ornate queens. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 13 July 2022 The plot grows increasingly ornate, weighed down by Paul’s obsession with fame. Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English ornat, from Latin ornatus, past participle of ornare to furnish, embellish; akin to Latin ordo order — more at order
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
ornate
adjective
or·nate ȯr-ˈnāt
: decorated in a fancy way
The traditional costume includes an ornate headdress.
ornate
adjective
1
as in baroque
elaborately and often excessively decorated an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- baroque
- decorated
- adorned
- ornamented
- gilt
- extravagant
- gilded
- florid
- lacy
- bedizened
- overdecorated
- overwrought
- loud
- gingerbread
- rococo
- dressed
- elaborate
- showy
- gingerbready
- gaudy
- garish
- embroidered
- arabesque
- spectacular
- glitzy
- swank
- gingerbreaded
- flamboyant
- fussy
- ostentatious
- trimmed
- tawdry
- flashy
- frilly
- embellished
- decked
- flowery
- enriched
- bedecked
- swanky
- bejeweled
- laced
- pretentious
- embossed
- fringed
- arrayed
- wreathed
- sequined
- bedaubed
- bejewelled
- beautified
- garnished
- enhanced
- garlanded
- splashy
- extreme
- heightened
- emblazoned
- sequinned
- flounced
- intensified
- chased
- bossed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plain
- unadorned
- austere
- stark
- severe
- simple
- modest
- naked
- bare
- stripped
- exposed
- unassuming
- understated
- tasteful
- uncovered
- unpretentious
- denuded
- restrained
- conservative
- subdued
- unobtrusive
- quiet
- muted
- toned-down
2
as in rhetoric
full of fine words and fancy expressions the ornate prose that was standard in all diplomatic correspondence in those days Synonyms & Similar Words
- rhetoric
- rhetorical
- purple
- flowery
- florid
- grandiloquent
- eloquent
- aureate
- hifalutin
- grandiose
- highfalutin
- high-sounding
- boastful
- high-flown
- excessive
- pretentious
- bombastic
- affected
- inflated
- stilted
- pompous
- bloated
- magnific
- flattering
- fulsome
- fancy-pants
- bookish
- learned
- lofty
- elevated
- inkhorn
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prosaic
- plain
- unadorned
- simple
- unpoetic
- stark
- direct
- spare
- lean
- straightforward
- bald
- plainspoken
- natural
- unpretentious
- unaffected
- matter-of-fact