Translation guide
How to express 'embellish' in Japanese, covering physical decoration, storytelling exaggeration, and metaphorical enhancement.
To make an object, space, or surface more attractive by adding decorative elements.
General verb for decorating, adorning, or displaying something. Works for rooms, objects, and personal appearance.
I decorated the room with flowers.
She embellished her dress with ribbons.
More formal or technical term for decorating, often used for interior design, architecture, or artistic embellishment.
The interior of the church was beautifully embellished.
To color or add color to something, often used poetically for embellishing with vibrant hues or seasonal beauty.
The autumn leaves embellish the mountains.
To make a story more interesting by adding untrue or exaggerated details.
Colloquial phrase meaning to exaggerate or embellish a story, often with a nuance of making it more dramatic or interesting than reality.
He likes to embellish his adventure stories.
Aren't you embellishing that story a bit?
Formal verb for exaggerating, suitable for both spoken and written contexts. Can be used for stories, claims, or descriptions.
Idiom meaning 'to add fins' (to a fish), i.e., to embellish a story with extra details, often false ones. Implies the story grows beyond the truth.
To add interesting or attractive features to something non-physical, like a story, performance, or life experience.
Metaphorical phrase meaning to add color or vibrancy to something abstract, such as life, a story, or an event.
Travel memories embellish one's life.
Her humor embellished the conversation.
Idiom meaning 'to add a flower', used when someone or something adds brilliance or charm to an occasion or work.
His speech embellished the ceremony.
Literary term for embellishing a story or account with artistic touches, often in writing or drama. Can imply fictionalization.
Direct translations like '飾る' for embellishing a story sound unnatural. Use '話を盛る' or '誇張する' instead.
He embellished the story. (unnatural)
He embellished his success story.
The rumor got embellished and became an exaggerated story.
He embellished historical facts into a novel.