Library / English Dictionary

EMPHASISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

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 "emphasise" is one way to...):

evince; express; show (give expression to)

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

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give extra weight to (a communication)

Example:

Her gesture emphasized her words

Synonyms:

emphasise; emphasize; underline; underscore

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress (to stress, single out as important)

Sentence frames:

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

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