Did you know?
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.
Examples of accentuate in a Sentence
Jon Picoult, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Same goes for Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, whose charming gap only accentuates her beauty.
—Dora Davies-Evitt, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2025
Among other symptoms, dehydration can make your skin lose elasticity and cause dryness that accentuates fine lines and wrinkles.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025
In the carousel of photos taken by Mary Craven Dawkins, Cassie can be seen wearing an off-the-shoulder green dress which accentuates her growing belly.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accentuate
Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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