Library / English Dictionary

ACCENTUATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put stress on; utter with an accent

Example:

In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word

Synonyms:

accent; accentuate; stress

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "accentuate" is one way to...):

articulate; enounce; enunciate; pronounce; say; sound out (speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

accent (a diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciation)

accent (the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch))

accent (distinctive manner of oral expression)

accent (the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people)

accentuation (the use or application of an accent; the relative prominence of syllables in a phrase or utterance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To stress, single out as important

Example:

Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet

Synonyms:

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "accentuate" is one way to...):

evince; express; show (give expression to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accentuate"):

background; downplay; play down (understate the importance or quality of)

bring out; set off (direct attention to, as if by means of contrast)

re-emphasise; re-emphasize (emphasize anew)

bear down (pay special attention to)

topicalize (emphasize by putting heavy stress on or by moving to the front of the sentence)

point up (emphasize, especially by identification)

drive home; press home; ram home (make clear by special emphasis and try to convince somebody of something)

emphasise; emphasize; underline; underscore (give extra weight to (a communication))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

accent (special importance or significance)

accentuation (the act of giving special importance or significance to something)

Credits