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When you accentuate something you put an “accent,” or emphasis, on it. There’s no need to stress out if you don’t know the word’s history, though; its journey into the English language was very straightforward. It comes from Latin accentus, meaning “accent” (which itself comes in part from cantus, meaning “song”), and since the early 18th century, its meanings haven’t changed much. The word was initially used as a synonym of the verb accent to mean “to pronounce with greater stress or force,” which is a small leap from today’s meaning of “to make something more noticeable; to emphasize.” One excellent way to remember not only how to pronounce accentuate but also its etymological connection to song is the classic (and helpfully titled) tune “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, which has been performed by such luminaries as Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.
Synonyms
Examples of accentuate in a Sentence
Michel Mejía, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2025
To accentuate the retro feel of the look, Kidman wore her blonde hair in a short, curly style, with the headscarf placed behind some face-framing pieces.
—Hedy Phillips, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Our Sunday Hot Button Top 10 notes column brings you what’s on our minds, locally and nationally but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or otherwise worth needling, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2025
Fruity or chocolate tasting notes that are present in beans that sit green are massively accentuated with Origin Roasted beans.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 1 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near accentuate
Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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