We’re going to have to pry information out of today’s word because it is reticent. Reticent means “disposed to be silent or not to speak freely.” This tight-lipped adjective is more specific than its synonym reserved, which is widely used of both speech and actions and implies a guardedness born of caution or a sense of formality. Reticent simply describes people who aren’t inclined to chatter. A word to the wise: reticent is used to mean “reluctant” with some regularity, but style guides urge against this broad interpretation in favor of the more precise application.

To be enchanted by something is to be delighted to a high degree, almost as if you’re under a (delightful) spell! This bewitching verb is a close synonym for delight, but enchant’s magical meanings infuse it with a little more charm. In fairy tales, witches might enchant princes and princesses, subjecting them to magical influence. Outside of fairy tales, the magic suggested by enchant might be more metaphorical than supernatural, but the term retains a touch of the mystical in all its uses. An audience that is enchanted by a performance is not simply delighted, but perhaps mesmerized, entranced, or spellbound by what’s before them.

To decorate something is to add ornamentation to it or to embellish it in some way. To bedeck something is to go all out with your ornamental efforts, adorning that object (be it a tree, a room, or one’s outfit) to the point of gaudiness. (Why not? We’re all friends here!) Bedeck is not a very common term; the shorter verb deck, as in “We were all decked out for the party,” is more familiar. But when bedeck does make an appearance, it's likely for a special occasion. This glitzy verb might describe a person who is drenched in jewels, an architectural feature festooned with flowers, or a tree absolutely covered with ornaments.