emphasize

American  

[em-fuh-sahyz] / ˈɛm fəˌsaɪz /

especially British, emphasise

verb (used with object)

• emphasizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• emphasized,
  past participle,  past
• emphasizing
  present participle

1. 

   to give emphasis to; lay stress upon; stress.

   to emphasize a point;

   to emphasize the eyes with mascara.

   Synonyms:

   highlight, accentuate, accent

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emphasize British  

/ ˈɛmfəˌsaɪz /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• emphasizing
  present
• emphasized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• emphasize
  simple
• emphasizes
  simple
• have emphasized
  perfect
• has emphasized
  perfect
• am emphasizing
  progressive
• are emphasizing
  progressive
• is emphasizing
  progressive
• have been emphasizing
  perfect progressive
• has been emphasizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• emphasized
  simple
• had emphasized
  perfect
• was emphasizing
  progressive
• were emphasizing
  progressive
• had been emphasizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will emphasize
  simple
• will have emphasized
  perfect
• will be emphasizing
  progressive
• will have been emphasizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of emphasize

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

Explanation

To emphasize is to make something important, or stress it, like when you were little and your parents would always emphasize the importance of looking both ways before crossing the street. They told you again and again and again. And again. The verb emphasize works when you really want to stress a point or give extra weight to an issue. Emphasize comes from words that mean “significance” and “to present or show.” A player who finally makes the varsity team might emphasize this achievement by always wearing his practice jersey — even off the field, or you might emphasize the importance of being on time by locking the door on latecomers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

emphasize emphasizes emphasized emphasizing

He goes on to emphasize that what Claude found — a previously uncharacterized enzyme system found in viruses that infect bacteria — isn’t necessarily going to be useful.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

To emphasize the ghoulishness, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shoots the president and his advisors in unflattering low angles with a formaldehyde sheen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

One thing you emphasize in the book is the need to make sure that we are not stunting children’s emotional growth, especially in the midst of this effort to push more A.I. into schools.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

The researchers emphasize that the findings so far are limited to animal models.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

I cannot emphasize this enough: It was a completely normal rap song, except in Swedish.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Ben Macintyre’s new book emphasizes how history sometimes hinges on quirky twists of fate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Boor emphasizes that the goal is to help consumers make informed choices rather than discourage cleaning.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

And, he emphasizes, a key reason for buying the China holdings is that the country’s stocks remain out of favor “and you get very obviously good companies growing nicely in incredibly attractive valuations.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Friedman emphasizes that some critics are concerned that a so-called BookTok phenomenon pushes literature toward consumerism and waters down literary quality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Method acting emphasizes the need to “become” the character.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Still, she emphasized that students should be able to count on a degree or credential that they pay for making them better off.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Muñoz emphasized the strength the automaker has from its vertical integration with its umbrella company, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes affiliates in steel, logistics, finance, and robot-maker Boston Dynamics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Kreider has previously emphasized creatine's importance throughout the lifespan, including its potential value for older adults facing age-related declines in muscle mass and cognitive function.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

The resolution adopted Tuesday emphasized "the importance of ensuring security conditions conducive to holding free and fair elections."

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

And the way she emphasized the world trouble, I could tell I was in plenty.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

At the same time, some academics are emphasizing the need for students to hone AI skills to improve efficiency, deepen expertise, and meet the demands of a modern workforce.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

It underscores the dangers of mob mentality and the manosphere, while also emphasizing that despite all of the progress LGBTQ+ people have made, they are still in serious peril.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

It’s also worth emphasizing that buying and holding has outperformed each of these three seasonal strategies on a risk-adjusted basis.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

“Another thing about emphasizing the efficacy of youthful endeavor in changing the world is the riff of the song was written by Roman,” Morello explained.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

From behind us the last long rays of light played across the campus, accenting every slight undulation of the land, emphasizing the separateness of each bush.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Related Words

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