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
This set of minimalistic dusk-to-dawn deck lights is one of the simplest options to add lights around your railings, and more than 11,000 reviewers give them five stars. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026 The home on the lake north of Traverse City has outdoor features like a cabana with a kitchen and bar, hot tub, firepit and sun deck. — Brendel Clark, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
The halls are decked with vintage glass holiday towns in two colorways, Pastel and Traditional. — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026 Today nearly all redwood purchased in stores for decking and other construction is second- or third-growth redwood. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 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
  • Residents sat in homes with walls washed away by the floods, shoveling sludge-like mud and rubble off balconies or window frames.
    — Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The families seen here trapped on their balcony as the water rises around them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of balcony
Verb
  • At the heart of the dining room stands La Venatoria, a rare Richard Ginori vase from the late 1920s, produced during Gio Ponti’s artistic direction and decorated with the Triumph of the Amazons motif.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • One of two primary bedrooms is decorated with a vibrant abstract painting.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of decorate
Noun
  • And whether your plans involve a big backyard cookout or a quiet afternoon on the porch, there’s no reason the drinks need to be complicated.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Kirkpatrick says, noting that the porch and garage were additions.
    — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of porch
Verb
  • But the very act of putting on a wearable—of willingly adorning oneself with a tiny computerized narc—is an act of surrender.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The politician proposed with a glamorous three-stone engagement ring adorned with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of adorn
Noun
  • Also of note is the Malt Whiskey Bar, which specializes in the brown stuff and has an adjacent cigar-smoking terrace.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Another shows someone climbing into a helicopter, stepping from a roof terrace, onto the landing gear and then into the cockpit, after appearing to take off their t-shirt to wave and attract the aircraft’s attention.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrace
Verb
  • Johansson recounted how, during one studio session, Saab picked up a single piece of black fabric and twisted, turned, and draped it into a bustier dress right on the mannequin.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Debates the dystopian vision of Hulu’s A Handmaid’s Tale, lying flat on his back on a bed, draped in a red robe.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of drape
Verb
  • Consequently, markets have already trimmed their Fed rate hike expectations.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Drapery panels in Jim Thompson’s Choisya, trimmed in Samuel & Sons, frame the couple’s vintage breakfront, which keeps Khouri’s Royal Crown Derby china within reach.
    — Caroline Randall Williams, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of trim

Phrases Containing deck

Browse Nearby Words

decisiveness
deck
decked
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Cite this Entry

“Deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deck. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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