To decorate something by adding extra details or features to make it more attractive. In stories, it can mean adding interesting but not always true details.
From Old French 'embelir' (to make beautiful), from 'en-' (make) + 'bel' (beautiful), from Latin 'bellus' (pretty). English reshaped it as 'embellish' under the influence of similar words. The core idea is making something more beautiful than it was.
When someone 'embellishes' a story, they’re literally 'beautifying' it—polishing reality to make it more entertaining. The word doesn’t accuse you of full lies, just of decorating the truth. It’s language’s gentle way of saying, 'That’s not exactly how it happened, is it?'
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