different between refine vs embellish

English

Etymology

re- +? fine

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???fa?n/
• Rhymes: -a?n
• Hyphenation: re?fine

Verb

refine (third-person singular simple present refines, present participle refining, simple past and past participle refined)

1. (transitive) To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.

2. (intransitive) To become pure; to be cleared of impure matter.
3. (transitive) To purify of coarseness, vulgarity, inelegance, etc.; to polish.

4. (transitive, intransitive) To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
5. (transitive) To make nice or subtle.

Related terms

• refinable
• refinement
• refiner
• refinery

Translations

Further reading

• refine in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• refine in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Feiner, enfire, ferine, fineer

Portuguese

Verb

refine

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
3. first-person singular imperative of refinar
4. third-person singular imperative of refinar

Spanish

Verb

refine

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of refinar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of refinar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of refinar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of refinar.

English

Etymology

From Old French embellir, from em- + bel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?b?l??/, /?m-/

Verb

embellish (third-person singular simple present embellishes, present participle embellishing, simple past and past participle embellished)

1. To make more beautiful and attractive; to decorate.

   The old book cover was embellished with golden letters
2. To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, to embroider.

   to embellish a story, the truth

Synonyms

• adorn
• beautify
• decorate
• deck
• grace
• ornament
• prettify
• See also Thesaurus:decorate

Translations