accentuate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
accentuates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
accentuated,
past participle, past
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accentuating
present participle
-
to give emphasis or prominence to.
-
to place the stress or emphasis on (a particular syllable or word) when pronouncing it or showing its pronunciation.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
accentuatesimple
-
accentuatessimple
-
have accentuatedperfect
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has accentuatedperfect
-
am accentuatingprogressive
-
are accentuatingprogressive
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is accentuatingprogressive
-
have been accentuatingperfect progressive
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has been accentuatingperfect progressive
Past
-
accentuatedsimple
-
had accentuatedperfect
-
was accentuatingprogressive
-
were accentuatingprogressive
-
had been accentuatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of accentuate
First recorded in 1725–35; from Medieval Latin accentuātus intoned (past participle of accentuāre ); see accent, -ate 1
Explanation
To accentuate something is to emphasize it. If you want someone to know you’re from the American South, accentuate your accent by laying it on thick, y’all. When you accentuate, you draw attention to something. You could wear a green shirt to accentuate your green eyes, for example. You can also accentuate words when you give them added stress. An actor might accentuate certain words in a monologue in order to emphasize the character's anger. This word traces all the way back to the Latin verb canere, "to sing."
Vocabulary lists containing accentuate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The kitchen is lit with huge skylights that accentuate the natural wood beams and bring a beautiful, bright feeling into the space.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
But whether the arena is theater, music, science or sports, all wear garments that accentuate their emotional states and prodigious talents — and leave an enduring mark.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
But there are plenty of positives to accentuate as the calendar turns.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
Clearly, Auggie’s story is shaped to accentuate the positive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
If the Augurs made my armor to accentuate my body's power, they made Hel's to accentuate her beauty.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
"It accentuates what they've done," says Dr Barney Wainwright, senior research fellow at Leeds Beckett University.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
McGee accentuates Kenneth’s somber shading to a degree that risks sentimentalizing the character.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Nevertheless, “Bug” is ingeniously structured to stoke suspense, and Mr. Cromer’s impeccable production accentuates the dexterous manner by which Mr. Letts makes plausible its harrowing climax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
Upon entering the home, guests are greeted with an open floor plan that accentuates the expansive living area, with double French doors that allow natural light to flood the space.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025
My mother’s face has not aged as quickly as the rest of her body; it remains smooth and glowing—a cool tan— which her gray hair cleanly accentuates.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
The rivalry between the pair is only accentuated by the fact they are on either side of the sportswear rivalry.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
During one orbit, Anders captured Earth's brilliant blue hue standing out against the vast darkness of space and accentuated by the desolate, grey lunar horizon in the foreground.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Talk to Me” is another winner with a bright and sparkly arrangement, its strobe-like effect accentuated with the sound of crashing objects, as if the stage is collapsing around the song as it builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
I was wearing my best armor: a black dress that accentuated my curves, a striped bolero to cover the arms I’ve resented for years and black platform sandals displaying ruby toes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
The candlelight accentuated her rouged cheeks and painted mouth.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Brown said this weakness — as well as other technical signs accentuating how much the financial sector is underperforming — gives him reason for pause.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
Swenson may be a step slower in this regard, but he plays it perfectly by accentuating the delight Sweeney takes in the merriment of Mrs. Lovett’s perverse rhyming game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026
“Whatever nomenclature you prefer,” Elizabeth offers, accentuating her speech with oozing hauteur.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2024
Their romance is in some ways expressed more through cooking and eating than through words, which is one reason that accentuating the sensuality of the food was important for Tran.
From New York Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
Nox’s dark brows rose, accentuating his gray eyes.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
