Translation is always a treason, and as a Ming author observes, can at its best be only the reverse side of a brocade,—all the threads are there, but not the subtlety of colour or design.
Source: tatoeba (638881)
Brocade
/bɹəˈkeɪd/
Synonyms for "brocade" (25 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: adorn, baroque, cloth, corduroy, cotton.
- Sentence evidence is available for brocade, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "brocade".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "brocade"
Keep "brocade" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "brocade" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "brocade", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "brocade" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
12 entriesbrocade dressbrocade fabricbrocade garmentbrocade patternbrocade textilebrocade weavebrocade weavingdamask brocadegold brocadejacquard brocadeornate brocadesilk brocade
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
8 total sentences available.
Madame Legarde, the "glass of fashion and the nurse of form," (alias the most fashionable of milliners,) has comfortably assured me, "that my figure has great merit, and only requires cultivation:" this is to be done by tissues, brocades, and laces, which are now scattered round me in charming confusion.
Source: wiktionary
… his desire to stand in brocade and sing Rhadames in Aida was like my eagerness to go far, far beyond fellow intellectuals of my generation who had lost the imaginative soul.
Source: wiktionary
I selected a pair of loose, dark trousers bound at the waist with a russet sash, a tunic with an open neck and large pockets, and a cloak of the true fuligin of that guild of which I am still officially a master, lined with particolored brocade.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 8 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "brocade"?
Closest matches include adorn, baroque, cloth, corduroy, cotton.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "brocade"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.