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

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Etymology

Origin of emphasize

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

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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

Although the findings are encouraging, the researchers emphasize that additional studies are needed before the treatment's long-term effectiveness can be fully established.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

However, the researchers emphasize that the findings should not be interpreted as proof of previously unknown side effects.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

Any moment can change the whole way you look at somebody, so it’s very delicate how you choose, because you can emphasize the wrong thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The same event can look like evidence of a system working or a system failing, depending on which part of the story one chooses to emphasize.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

All the names ended with a 7, since there were but seven astronauts in existence, and they wanted to emphasize their unity.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Ms. Acton emphasizes healthcare costs, school funding, rising electric bills and labor unions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

One possibility involves the Mediterranean-style diet, which emphasizes foods such as fish, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

He emphasizes that his coaching staff, which is also deeply rooted in the community, understands the realities of their players’ lives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

Throughout, Bergman artfully but never rigidly emphasizes parallels between them, even having Alma seem to stand in place for Elisabet in scenes with her husband.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

It doesn’t surprise me that she’s not watching the news, which always emphasizes the gloom and doom.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

By the 1870s, the “trifles” emphasized by Bell and Littlejohn allowed medical students to see criminology in real time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

But in comments to MarketWatch, a State Department spokesperson emphasized that the ordered departures are only for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families in Saudi Arabia.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

State officials emphasized that California’s economy has continued to grow even as the state has slashed emissions, with gross domestic product up 40% since the passage of AB 32.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

As Joyce Vance, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, emphasized, “this is the time to vote early.”

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026

That first day in class, Johnny Manuelito emphasized to us how important our jobs as code talkers would be.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Asked whether he stood with backlash, Hilton sidestepped, emphasizing how much he himself loves Los Angeles and intends to "revive" it.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

She encourages members of her laboratory to be "calculated risk-takers," emphasizing that meaningful discoveries often require scientists to investigate possibilities that may initially seem unlikely.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Ms. Rowland, the author repeatedly notes, rarely talked about the dolls as consumer products, instead emphasizing their educational nature and high quality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

Tuyo’s CEO and co-founder, Jorge Izquierdo, has defended the product on X, emphasizing that “this is not gambling” and “there’s no debt. You can only spend what you have.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

His eyebrows moved as he spoke, emphasizing his words.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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Related Words

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

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