What does bedecking mean?
"Bedecking" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "bedeck," meaning to decorate or adorn something, often lavishly or showily. When people speak of bedecking a hall, a tree, or themselves, they picture layers of ornament — garlands, ribbons, jewels, or banners — applied with deliberate festivity. The word carries a slightly formal, literary tone, lending ceremony to whatever it describes, and it frequently appears in descriptions of celebrations, weddings, and holidays. It derives from the prefix "be-" joined to "deck," which in this sense came into Middle English from Middle Dutch "decken," meaning to cover. That same Dutch root also gave English the nautical "deck," the platform covering a ship's hull, so the ship's deck and the decorated hall are distant relatives. Writers choose "bedecking" over plainer alternatives like "decorating" when they want to suggest abundance, richness, and a touch of old-fashioned splendor.
verbPresent participle and gerund of "bedeck": adorning or decorating something, especially elaborately or showily.
- To decorate or adorn something, especially richly or festively (present participle of "bedeck").
"The villagers spent all morning bedecking the streets with bunting for the festival."
"The family spent the afternoon bedecking the Christmas tree with heirloom ornaments."
"Flower sellers moved through the square, bedecking every stall with garlands for the spring fair."
"Bedeck" traces back to a Middle Dutch word for covering a roof — which is why the "deck" on a ship and the festive act of bedecking a hall share the same ancestor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bedecking
Bedecking comes from "bedeck," formed in Middle English from the prefix "be-" plus "deck," meaning to cover or adorn. The verb "deck" in this sense was borrowed from Middle Dutch "decken" (to cover), related to modern Dutch "dekken." English retains two distinct senses of "deck" from related sources: the older native sense of the card-playing "deck" and the covering/adorning sense behind "bedeck." The word has been used in ornamental contexts since at least the early modern period.
Related word forms
How bedecking is actually used
Somewhat formal and literary in register, more common in written than everyday spoken English. The simple adjective "bedecked" is often more frequent than the progressive form.
Easily confused with bedecking
"Bedecking" means decorating or adorning, while "beckoning" means signaling someone to approach with a gesture.