embroider

/ɪmˈbrɔɪdər/

/ɪmˈbrɔɪdə/

Other forms: embroidered; embroidering; embroiders

To embroider means to decorate with needlework. Picture your great grandmother's pillowcases or Hester Prynne's famous scarlet letter "A" — both of those objects are probably embroidered.

To embroider refers to a type of ornamentation or needlework, but another usage of the word embroider means to embellish the truth. For example, if a fisherman sitting on the dock tells you about the 38-inch striped bass he almost caught this morning, he may have found a way to embroider the truth.

Definitions of embroider

1. verb

   decorate with needlework
   synonyms: broider

   types:

   faggot, fagot

   ornament or join (fabric) by faggot stitch

   purl

   embroider with gold or silver thread

   purl

   edge or border with gold or silver embroidery

   type of:

   adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, grace, ornament

   make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc.
2. verb

   add details to
   synonyms: aggrandise, aggrandize, blow up, dramatise, dramatize, embellish, lard, pad

   types:

   glorify

   cause to seem more splendid

   type of:

   amplify, exaggerate, hyperbolise, hyperbolize, magnify, overdraw, overstate

   to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth