emphasize

especially British, em·pha·sise

[em-fuh-sahyz]

verb (used with object)

emphasized, emphasizing 

1. to give emphasis to; lay stress upon; stress: to emphasize the eyes with mascara.

   to emphasize a point;

   to emphasize the eyes with mascara.

   Synonyms: highlight, accentuate, accent

emphasize

/ ˈɛmfəˌsaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to give emphasis or prominence to; stress

Other Word Forms

• hyperemphasize verb (used with object)
• misemphasize verb (used with object)
• reemphasize verb (used with object)
• superemphasize verb (used with object)
• unemphasizing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emphasize¹

First recorded in 1820–30; emphas(is) + -ize

Example Sentences

Today, psychiatrists emphasize mental illness’s biological and hereditary origin, which forms the basis for many treatments.

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But large business organizations emphasized the gains it has produced for Americans.

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Tracing his career from the 1990s to the present through 40 works, the exhibition looks at the ways Mr. Douglas explores history and technology through a framework that emphasizes the theatrical quality of complex subjects.

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They emphasize that concepts of Scandinavian paganism have been handed down for centuries and repeatedly reshaped by different authors and cultural movements.

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It also emphasizes the promise of developing treatments that specifically target microglia in order to alter the course of Alzheimer's disease.

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Related Words

• accentuate 
• affirm 
• assert 
• highlight 
• indicate 
• maintain 
• point out 
• reiterate 
• repeat 
• underline 
• underscore