beautify

Everyday

To beautify something is to make it more beautiful. tree →

In the lessons

In community projects, people beautify a town with flowers and murals. «Beautify the school garden» means make it look nicer. In stories, a character beautifies herself before a ball.

Examples

• The volunteers beautified the park with flower beds. tree →
• We beautified the classroom with our paintings. tree →
• The town plants tulips to beautify its streets. tree →
• She beautified the old box with shells. tree →
• Toad wanted to beautify Toad Hall. tree →
• Murals beautified the grey wall. tree →
• The improvement is not due to the dress alone, but largely to the beautifying effects of the bath. tree →

Note

Spelling: y → ies, ied (beautifies, beautified), but beautifying keeps y. Noun: beautification.

In Jewish tradition

It means to make something splendid and honorable, especially God's house, the Temple.

Interpretation. Ezra praises God for moving the king to adorn the Temple. Tradition teaches the idea of "hiddur mitzvah", making commandments beautiful, as a way of honoring God.

Examples

• Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem; (Writings EZR.7.27, JPS 1917) tree →
• The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the cypress, the plane-tree and the larch together; to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious. (Prophets ISA.60.13, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Spelling: y → ies, ied (beautifies, beautified), but beautifying keeps y. Noun: beautification.