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to decorate or add beauty to, as by ornaments:
garlands of flowers adorning their hair.
to make more pleasing, attractive, impressive, etc.; enhance:
piety adorned abigail’s character.
contemporary examples

the sandwich is made with thick tiles of quality bread and adorned with lettuce and tomato.
become a fried seafood believer at south beach market jane & michael stern april 19, 2014

the first coming, the u.s.-led invasion in 1994 adorned with 20,000 american troops, did not turn out so well.
bill clinton’s shameful haiti legacy bob shacochis january 18, 2010

inside, the rustic dinner tables were adorned with colorful tulips.
cfda/vogue fashion fund awards honor the next big designers robin givhan november 14, 2011

you know, just sort of cl-ssic, really good filmmaking stuff, adorned with this wonderful style.
ben affleck: my 11 favorite heist movies ben affleck january 4, 2011

the soldiers had also adorned the bomb with a message: “dear taliban, enjoy this!”
in afghanistan, a boom in red bull mujib mashal may 18, 2012

historical examples

some banners that adorned it remained in the cathedral till 1586.
the cathedral church of peterborough w.d. sweeting

all along the walls were numerous prayer-barrels, adorned with ribbons.
the unknown life of jesus christ nicolas notovitch

there is a beautiful reja here (lattice or grating) by bartolom, and the altar is adorned with statues of ferdinand and isabella.
old continental towns walter m. gallichan

so we cleaned and adorned ourselves and groped our way to the rococo.
punch or the london charivari, vol. 147, november 25, 1914 various

every day he led the geese to the sea, and every day bianchinetta came forth and adorned them with t-ssels of various colors.
italian popular tales thomas frederick crane

verb (transitive)
to decorate: she adorned her hair with flowers
to increase the beauty, distinction, etc, of
v.

late 14c., “to decorate, embellish,” also “be an ornament to,” from old french aorner “to order, arrange, dispose, equip; adorn,” from latin adornare “equip, provide, embellish,” from ad- “to” (see ad-) + ornare “prepare, furnish, adorn, fit out,” from stem of ordo “order” (see order (n.)). the -d- was reinserted by french scribes 14c., in english from late 15c. related: adorned; adorning.