Definition

1. Verb:
   • To emphasize or make more noticeable: To give prominence or increased importance to a particular feature, idea, or part of something.
   • To pronounce or mark with an accent: To stress a syllable or word in speech, or to place a written accent mark on it.

Usage and Examples

• To emphasize a feature or quality:
  • The dark eyeliner helped to accentuate her blue eyes.
  • The architect used lighting to accentuate the building's unique curves.
• To stress in pronunciation:
  • In English, we accentuate the first syllable of the word "present" when it is a noun.
  • Be sure to accentuate the correct syllable to avoid confusion.

Advanced Usage

• "accentuate the positive": To focus on or highlight the good aspects of a situation.
  • In difficult times, it's important to accentuate the positive and look for solutions.
• Used to describe the effect of making contrasts more apparent.
  • The economic policies served to accentuate the divide between the rich and the poor.

Variants and Related Words

• Accentuation (noun): The act of accentuating; emphasis or stress.
  • The careful accentuation of key points made her speech very effective.
• Accent (noun/verb): As a noun, a distinctive mode of pronunciation; a mark indicating stress. As a verb, to emphasize.
  • She spoke with a French accent. (noun)
  • He accented the need for immediate action. (verb)

Synonyms

• Emphasize: To give special importance or prominence to.
• Highlight: To draw attention to or emphasize.
• Stress: To emphasize or give importance to.
• Underscore: To emphasize or stress.

Antonyms

• Minimize: To reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree; to downplay.
• Understate: To describe or represent something as less important than it is.
• Downplay: To make something appear less important than it really is.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• To bring to the fore: To move something into a prominent position.
• To throw into relief: To make something very noticeable by contrast.
• While not a phrasal verb, the verb is often used with objects like "differences," "features," "importance," or "need" to indicate what is being emphasized.

Verb

1. put stress on; utter with an accent
   • In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word
2. to stress, single out as important
   • Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet