emphasize
Americanverb (used with object)
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emphasizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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emphasized,
past participle, past
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emphasizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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hyperemphasizeverb (used with object)
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misemphasizeverb (used with object)
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reemphasizeverb (used with object)
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superemphasizeverb (used with object)
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unemphasizingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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emphasizesimple
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emphasizessimple
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have emphasizedperfect
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has emphasizedperfect
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am emphasizingprogressive
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are emphasizingprogressive
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is emphasizingprogressive
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have been emphasizingperfect progressive
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has been emphasizingperfect progressive
Past
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emphasizedsimple
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had emphasizedperfect
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was emphasizingprogressive
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were emphasizingprogressive
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had been emphasizingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing emphasize
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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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:
Don Omar and Hakim further emphasize the cross-cultural nature of the song by using each other’s respective cultural productions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The researchers emphasize that their results therefore cannot prove that the same effects occur in women or developing embryos.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
“While some advisers emphasize this approach, it is not how many advisory relationships are structured today.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
But he’s just singing better than ever — the falsetto wouldn’t hide flaws, it would just emphasize them.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Whereas Sirius had sought to advertise his difference from the rest of the family, Regulus had striven to emphasize the opposite.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
“There isn’t any evidence that demonstrates this works,” Yasmin emphasizes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
He emphasizes the point by revealing that he gave another driver a thumbs-up after being given permission to turn in a busy intersection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Weight-loss advice often emphasizes calorie restriction and smaller portions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil — and limiting foods like red meat, cheese and sugar.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
He emphasizes how much her letters mean to him.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
They did, although they emphasized that the decision depends on more than contribution limits.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
She also emphasized continued cooperation with the U.S. government, saying that coordination on that front is “extremely strong.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
She also emphasized that AI should not replace human teachers.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
“The latter two have not been emphasized in the Tim Cook era but AI could require Apple to move with a higher rate of change when the speed of innovation is accelerating,” Mohan added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
They emphasized that the statement was only Hickock’s version.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Himino may signal an imminent rate hike by emphasizing upside inflation risks or the need to avoid falling “behind the curve,” the economist and currency strategist says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, also claimed the ruling as a victory, emphasizing that Liman had rejected the vast majority of the fees and costs Lively sought.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
He also monetized Apple’s installed base through services such as Apple Pay, Apple Music and other offerings while emphasizing user privacy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Instead, genetic studies of archaeological remains from Europe and the Americas have uncovered evidence of multiple treponemal diseases in ancient populations, emphasizing how complex the evolutionary history of these pathogens may be.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Poisonwood,” she added flatly, emphasizing the descending syllables as if she were equally tired of all three.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
