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.
He likes to wear clothes that accentuate his muscular build.
let's accentuate the saxophones during this piece by having the sax players stand up
Recent Examples on the WebThe halter neck detail accentuated her decolletage and toned arms while the waist offered a cinching shape with the white panels going down her sides.—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 30 Sep. 2024 Find the elements worth talking about, and use this prompt to accentuate your backstory.—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 To McCollum, Purple Basil has the range to accentuate the humble touches of Arts and Crafts handiwork while suiting Postmodernism’s desire for confrontation.—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 24 Sep. 2024 The fit has an elastic waistband for the best possible fit, and the top is ruched at the sides to help accentuate your curves.
Find it on Amazon
This IVAY Velvet Dress Is So Versatile
The best part about this IVAY Velvet Dress is that it can be dressed up or down in a ton of different ways.—Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accentuate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accentuate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Medieval Latin accentuātus, past participle of accentuāre "to accent, stress," derivative of Latin accentusaccent entry 1
Share