English vocabulary · C1
Wreathe
/riːð/ · v.
To wreathe something is to put flowers or leaves around it. They can cover it, hang around it, or wind from top to bottom.
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Example sentences
- They wreathed the old gate with fresh flowers.
- Smoke wreathed the mountain after the fire.
Word origin and roots
from Middle English
- wrethe — twisted ring (from Middle English)
Synonyms and nuances
- ENCIRCLE — form a circle around (In A Full Circle)
- SURROUND — be all around (On Every Side)
- DECORATE — add pretty things (To Make It Pretty)
Similar words
- encircle
- surround
- decorate
Lesson notes
To wreathe something is to put flowers or leaves around it. They can cover it, hang around it, or wind from top to bottom.
Related: encircle, surround, decorate. Use wreathe when flowers go around something.
They wreathed the old gate with fresh flowers. Smoke wreathed the mountain after the fire.
From Middle English. Wrethe means twisted ring. A twisted ring became a wreath, then the verb wreathe.