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

Relevance

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
Adding an area like a deck or patio that functions as an outdoor room maximizes the living area of your tiny house and connects the outdoors to the indoors. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 July 2025 Additionally, the construction project will include replacing the deck on the northbound bridge and the joints on the southbound bridge. —Liliana Fannin, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
The Fanatics Sportsbook No. 44 Chevrolet will take to the track decked in the company’s colors and adorned with the Fanatics Sportsbook logo on the hood and sides of the car. —Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 23 May 2025 The open cuts on the approaches to the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway and Dyer Ave. will be decked over, creating 3.5 acres of new public green space in place in the current polluting eyesores that divide the area. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 2 June 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
  • The tension between Brian and Zavier finally comes to a head in an emotional balcony scene.
    — Emily Blackwood, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • The fourteen days are done, Jannik Sinner has made his Wimbledon balcony debut with the silver, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their two elder children brought the royal flush to anchor the courtside row of the Royal Box.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of balcony
Verb
  • Her final Instagram post showed a towering pink and white birthday cake decorated with a carousel figurine topper.
    — Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 15 July 2025
  • The pioneer of the Little Black Dress offered plenty of those as well variations decorated in feathers.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 14 July 2025
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • Firefighters found the man’s body on the home’s front porch, Metro Fire Capt. Mark Nunez, a department spokesman, said in a release following the blaze.
    — Darrell Smith July 14, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
  • There’s a few reasons why shoes might be forgotten on the porch.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 14 July 2025
Definition of porch
Verb
  • Both pieces of the swimsuit were adorned with crystal embellishments.
    — Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 15 July 2025
  • This is an excellent, strange little book that appeared in 2011 and had a profound impact on me, and apparently on Florence Welch who adorns the cover with a generous quote.
    — Hattie Williams July 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Amenities: Free breakfast, dining room, rooftop terrace, garden terrace, street parking Editor’s tip: Before heading out each night, don’t miss out on sunset drinks on the furnished rooftop terrace overlooking Chora.
    — Monica Mendal, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • Two landscaped rooftop terraces have a sunroom lounge in the middle, while the basement holds a catering kitchen and a ton of storage space.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 July 2025
Definition of terrace
Verb
  • Once the arches are secure, drape a large piece of netting over the entire bed, securing it to the arches with clothespins or clips.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
  • And a stalled storm front draped across more than half a dozen states dumped multiple rounds of rain in the Midwest throughout the day.
    — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 18 July 2025
Definition of drape
Verb
  • Here, the nailhead trim and traditional striped fabric go hand in hand for a statement yet classic bedroom.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2025
  • Maybe find ways to trim the bureaucracy and lower taxes.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025
Definition of trim

Phrases Containing deck

Browse Nearby Words

decisiveness
deck
decked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deck. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on deck

Nglish: Translation of deck for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All