emphatic

[em-fat-ik]

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adjective

uttered, or to be uttered, with emphasis; strongly expressive.

using emphasis in speech or action.

forceful; insistent: a big, emphatic man; I must be emphatic about this particular.

very impressive or significant; strongly marked; striking: the emphatic beauty of sunset.

clearly or boldly outlined: It stands, like a great, stone dagger, emphatic against the sky.

Grammar. of or relating to a form used to add emphasis, especially, in English, stressed auxiliary do in affirmative statements, as in He did call you or I do like it.

Phonetics. having a secondary velar articulation, as certain dental consonants in Arabic.

noun

an emphatic consonant.

Nearby words

Origin of emphatic

1700–10; < Greek emphatikós indicative, forceful, equivalent to *emphat(ós) (em- em-² + phatós, variant of phantós visible, equivalent to phan-, stem of phaínesthai to appear + -tos adj. suffix) + -ikos -ic

SYNONYMS FOR emphatic

3. positive, energetic, forcible, pronounced, decided, unequivocal, definite.

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ANTONYMS FOR emphatic

3. weak.

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Related formsem·phat·i·cal·ly, adverbem·phat·i·cal·ness, nounun·em·phat·ic, adjectiveun·em·phat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for emphatic

The adjudication of the Daily Beast office was clear and emphatic: penguin, penguin, penguin.
How Monty The Penguin Won Christmas: Britain’s Epic, Emotional Commercials|Tim Teeman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The CDC too, has been emphatic in their promotion of the technique.
Doctors Without Borders Hits Ebola Breaking Point|Abby Haglage, Kent Sepkowitz|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the 92Y talk, de la Renta was emphatic about the future of his label.
Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta, American Great, Dead at 82|Tim Teeman|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is a creepy sound, inhumanly high-pitched and strangely clipped and emphatic: “S-s-eeg maheevoh s-s-speeree.”
The Stacks: The Judas Priest Teen Suicide Trial|Ivan Solotaroff|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

With a commanding voice and an emphatic, Emeril-esque “WOW!”
Meet the Chef Fighting to Ensure That Brazilians Will Never Be as Fat as Americans|Brandon Presser|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Tom asked if he had better come down that evening and call, John was most emphatic in his refusal.
Polly's Business Venture|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
Squire William read it also, and gave it his most emphatic approval.
A Rose of a Hundred Leaves|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
He should be taught this truth in an emphatic manner by those responsible for his education.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol 2 (of 4)|W. Grant Hague
In the present instance the same ideas are reiterated with emphatic persistence, but little addition or variation.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. Maclaren
"Not a word out of place from me, Miss Dyce," would he cry, emphatic.
Bud|Neil Munro

British Dictionary definitions for emphatic

emphatic

adjective

expressed, spoken, or done with emphasis

forceful and positive; definite; directan emphatic personality

sharp or clear in form, contour, or outline

important or significant; stressedthe emphatic points in an argument

phonetics denoting certain dental consonants of Arabic that are pronounced with accompanying pharyngeal constriction

noun

phonetics an emphatic consonant, as used in Arabic

Word Origin for emphatic

C18: from Greek emphatikos expressive, forceful, from emphainein to exhibit, display, from phainein to show

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for emphatic

emphatic

adj.

1708, from Greek emphatikos, variant of emphantikos, from emphainein (see emphasis). Emphatical is earlier (1550s). Related: Emphatically.

emphatic

adjective

noun

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Origin of emphatic

Examples from the Web for emphatic

emphatic

adjective

noun

Word Origin for emphatic

emphatic