Emblazon

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪmˈbleɪzən/

Definitions

1. To decorate or display something prominently with a symbol, emblem, or design
2. To adorn an object or surface by vividly applying a distinctive mark or image
3. To embellish by adding a clear and striking emblem or decoration that draws attention

Etymology: Heraldry is where this word started, and its original sense was far more literal than "to decorate." A "blazon" was the description of a coat of arms, the formal wording that told a herald exactly which colours, charges and divisions appeared on a shield. Over time the noun was used for the arms themselves, and it came into English from Old French "blason," meaning "shield." The Old French word has a murky background of its own, so its ultimate origin is best left uncertain. The verb grew from that noun by adding the prefix "en-," meaning "in" or "on," so to emblazon something was to put a coat of arms or heraldic device onto it. Because such devices were painted boldly and bright, the sense drifted toward splashing something with bright colour or display, and then toward praising or proclaiming someone loudly, as if announcing their status to the world.

Synonyms: decorate, illustrate, inscribe, ornament, blazon

Antonyms: conceal, hide, obscure, dull, erase