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.
Synonyms
Examples of accentuate in a Sentence
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Even with that sense of realistic volume and weight, the animation is still abound with more exaggerated poses, all the better to accentuate the cast’s awkward antics.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024
Shot in and around Savannah, GA, where Eastwood made Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil a quarter-century ago, the film looks great and has a Mark Mancina score that nicely accentuates the story and has strong hints of the kinds of scores Eastwood himself has written for his movies.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024
As recessed panels can accentuate chandeliers, dining rooms are another preferred space.
—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024
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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 21 Nov. 2024.
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accentuate
verb
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