Verb

(es)

To make more beautiful and attractive; to decorate.

The old book cover was embellished with golden letters

* {{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=December 29 , author=Paul Doyle , title=Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Podolski gave Walcott a chance to further embellish Arsenal's first-half performance when he eluded James Perch and slipped the ball through to the striker.}}

To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality, to distort.

to embellish a story, the truth

Verb

(en verb)

to serve as a warning or omen

* John Milton, Paradise Lost

A kingdom they portend thee, but what kingdom, / Real or allegoric, I discern not; Nor when: eternal sure--as without end,

to signify; to denote

Let it be known that the Rapture portends the End of Days.

* {{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=June 26 , author=Genevieve Koski , title=Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=When the staccato, Neptunes-ian single “Boyfriend” was released in March, musical prognosticators were quick to peg the album it portended , Believe, as Justin Bieber’s Justified, a grown-and-sexy, R&B-centric departure that evolved millennial teenybopper Justin Timberlake into one of the unifying pop-music figures of the aughts.}}