Beautify Meaning
/ˈbjuː.tɪ.faɪ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo make beautiful; to increase the beauty of.
verbTo become beautiful.
Sentence Examples
Hundreds of years ago, married Japanese women would blacken their teeth to beautify themselves.
We use them to beautify our home.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The city plans to plant flowers along the main street to ____ the downtown area.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The community decided to ____ the local park by planting new flowers.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English beutifien, from Old French beaute (“beauty”), from Latin bellus (“beautiful, fine”), + -ify, from Latin facio (“make”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And now, / This ornament [i.e. beard] / Makes me look dismal will I clip to form; / And what this fourteen years no razor touch’d, / To grace thy marriage-day, I’ll beautify."
— c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
"[…] she was at the other end of the room, beautifying a nosegay;"
— 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter V, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page 89:
"“[…] I’m so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much.”"
— 1909, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 15, in Anne of Avonlea, Boston: L.C. Page, page 171:
"‘Boy, you take a big chance,’ Moses say. ‘Them pigeons there to beautify the park, not to eat. The people over here will kill you if you touch a fly.’"
— 1954, Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners, London: Longman, page 109:
"Officials are taking these old palm trees down in several parks and public spaces as they try to beautify the city, and prevent rotting tree trunks from falling on people."
— 2026 April 18, Manuel Rueda, “Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees”, in National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The city plans to plant flowers along the main street to ____ the downtown area.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The community decided to ____ the local park by planting new flowers.