Meaning & use
embroidered
Last updated
“embroidered” is a form of “embroider”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
decorated with patterns or pictures made by sewing threads onto cloth
Grammar: Used before a noun, e.g. 'an embroidered shirt'. Can also be used after a linking verb: 'The shirt is embroidered.'
Patterns
- embroidered with something
- heavily embroidered
She wore a beautiful embroidered dress to the wedding.
The cushion was embroidered with flowers and birds.
He gave her an embroidered handkerchief as a gift.
adjectivebefore a nounfigurative
made more interesting or exaggerated by adding invented details
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb, e.g. 'an embroidered account'.
Patterns
- an embroidered story
- embroidered account of something
The report was an embroidered version of what actually happened.
He told an embroidered tale of his adventures, adding dragons and treasure.
Her embroidered account of the meeting made it sound more dramatic than it was.
Word forms
| base form | embroider |
|---|---|
| third person singular | embroiders |
| past tense | embroidered |
| past participle | embroidered |
| -ing form | embroidering |
Common combinations
- beautifully embroidered
- The tablecloth was beautifully embroidered with gold thread.
- embroidered with
- The jacket was embroidered with colorful patterns.
- heavily embroidered
- The costume was heavily embroidered and very expensive.
- hand-embroidered
- She prefers hand-embroidered clothes to machine-made ones.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decorated
- Decorated is a general word for adding anything to make something look nicer; embroidered specifically means decorated with needlework.
- stitched
- Stitched can mean sewn together or decorated with stitches, but embroidered implies decorative patterns, not just joining fabric.
Opposites
Word family
- embroider verb
- to decorate cloth with sewing, or to add invented details to a story
- embroidery noun
- the art or result of decorating cloth with needlework
- embroiderer noun
- a person who embroiders
Commonly confused: embroidered or embroiled?
embroidered vs embroiled
Embroiled means involved in a difficult situation, e.g. 'embroiled in a scandal'. Embroidered is about sewing or adding details.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'embroidered' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Embroidered means decorated with needlework, so a tablecloth with a floral pattern fits. Option An is wrong because you don't embroider soup. Option C is about painting, not sewing. Option D is about furnishing, not embroidery.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “embroidered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.