emphasize

verb

em·​pha·​size ˈem(p)-fə-ˌsīz 

emphasized; emphasizing

transitive verb

: to place emphasis on : stress

emphasized the need for reform

Synonyms

• accent
• accentuate
• feature
• foreground
• highlight
• illuminate
• play up
• point (up)
• press
• punctuate
• stress

Examples of emphasize in a Sentence

supermarket tabloids that emphasize sensational news stories

that huge belt buckle only emphasizes his big gut

Recent Examples on the Web

Fred Nuzzo, who learned how to make pizza at Modern when his brother owned it, always emphasized to his son and others to never try to cut cost corners on ingredients, because the pizza wouldn’t be the same. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025

This could include funding for multi-institutional AI research initiatives, policy frameworks that encourage responsible data sharing and standardized evaluation metrics that emphasize generalizability. 4. —Sanjay Juneja, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Revenue drop-off is steep, with many categories losing ~50 percent of apps at each milestone, emphasizing the challenge of sustained growth beyond early revenue benchmarks. —Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025

Her experience has reshaped our approach, emphasizing the use of community relationships to improve intervention and prevention. —Brenda Looper, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

emphas(is) + -ize

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing emphasize

• de-emphasize
• re-emphasize

Rhymes for emphasize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

emphasize

verb

em·​pha·​size ˈem(p)-fə-ˌsīz 

emphasized; emphasizing

: to place emphasis on : stress as being important or so as to stand out