deck 1 of 2

noun

ˈdek How to pronounce deck (audio)
Definition of decknext
as in balcony
a flat roofless structure attached to a building the family usually ate on the deck on summer evenings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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deck

2 of 2

verb

as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming deck the halls with boughs of holly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deck different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of deck are adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, garnish, and ornament. While all these words mean "to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential," deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness.

a house all decked out for Christmas

When can adorn be used instead of deck?

In some situations, the words adorn and deck are roughly equivalent. However, adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself.

a diamond necklace adorned her neck

How are the words beautify and embellish related as synonyms of deck?

Beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness.

will beautify the grounds with flower beds

When could decorate be used to replace deck?

The meanings of decorate and deck largely overlap; however, decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design.

decorate a birthday cake

When is embellish a more appropriate choice than deck?

The synonyms embellish and deck are sometimes interchangeable, but embellish often stresses the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament.

embellish a page with floral borders

Where would garnish be a reasonable alternative to deck?

While the synonyms garnish and deck are close in meaning, garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food.

an entrée garnished with parsley

How do ornament and embellish relate to one another, in the sense of deck?

Both ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original.

a white house ornamented with green shutters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deck
Noun
Wise said parts of the carpet of a restaurant on a higher deck was still drying out days later. —Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2025 Riding the upper deck with Fenoglio was like being part of a rock-and-roll royal motorcade. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
The pre-recorded performance saw the star decked in a glittering red suit and singing against a snowy backdrop. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2024 Romanek opened up her Hollywood design studio for the dinner party, and decked it out with the collection’s gorgeous chocolate brown velvet Malibu Grande sofa, cream boucle Bel Air swivel chairs, Coastline credenza, Beachwood wicker table lamps and more. —Booth Moore, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deck
  1. balcony
  2. decorate
  3. porch
  4. adorn
  5. terrace
  6. drape
  7. trim
Noun
  • Additionally, the walls were covered in barbed wire, and the balcony had a large privacy wall.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Each part of this loveseat is made from weather-resistant materials, which is important for me since my balcony gets a lot of direct sunlight.
    — Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of balcony
Verb
  • The spacious rooms are tastefully decorated, in soothing neutral colors.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Her strapless couture gown was decorated with beads and came with a thin scarf.
    — Hannah Malach, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • And Breakfast If your idea of an ideal accommodation involves generous front porches, homecooked breakfast, and proprietors that feel like longtime friends, consider one of Stuart’s lovely bed and breakfasts.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Guests can find wide varieties of greenery to spruce up the living room, porch or backyard with everything from bonsai trees to bromeliads and bamboo.
    — Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of porch
Verb
  • Rounding it all out is the 1,600-square-foot guesthouse, which is adorned throughout with pecky cypress paneling and has its own kitchen and family room.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Guests will also be treated to Michelle Williams’s iconic saffron Vera Wang gown from the 2006 Oscars, which has been reimagined as a delicate biscuit adorned with lemon vanilla royal icing, evoking the gown’s flowing silhouette.
    — Caroline Tell, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Away from the picturesque coast, the volcanic interior is blanketed in dense forests that meander down to colonial hill towns and tiered rice terraces that wind around the hillsides.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Photo : Coldwell Banker Warburg The other bathroom in the primary suite leads out to a wraparound terrace.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of terrace
Verb
  • The Grecian-style sleeveless gown was reinforced in the midsection but otherwise draped loosely toward the ground.
    — Toria Sheffield, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The claim: Staffers hung upside-down US flag at Yosemite National Park A Feb. 23 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) by The Other 98% includes an image showing an upside-down U.S. flag draped alongside a mountain.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of drape
Verb
  • But the president could ask Education Secretary , , to trim the department within more narrow legal confines.
    — Andrew Stanton, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Some parks have already trimmed hours or offerings, and some park visitors have already reported longer waits to enter parks ahead of their busy season.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of trim

Phrases Containing deck

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Cite this Entry

“Deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deck. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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