Ornate

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɔɹˈneɪt/

Definitions

1. Elaborately decorated with intricate details and complex patterns, often in an excessive or showy manner
2. Heavily embellished with decorative elements and artistic flourishes that create a rich, often extravagant visual effect
3. Characterized by abundant ornamentation and intricate embellishment that conveys grandeur and elaborate craftsmanship

Etymology: Ornate began as a perfectly ordinary Latin verb meaning "to equip," and its earliest sense was about being fitted out rather than decorated. The Latin "ōrnō" could mean to furnish, prepare or equip as well as to adorn, and its past participle "ōrnātus" carried that same broad sense of being provided with something. English took the participle directly, as a learned borrowing, so the word arrived as a scholarly term rather than through everyday speech. The English word is a doublet of "orné," the French form that came from the same Latin source, so the two languages took the participle separately and kept it in slightly different shapes. Its meaning narrowed over time toward the idea of elaborate, heavy ornament that it carries today.

Synonyms: elaborate, decorative, embellished

Antonyms: plain, simple