emphatic

[em-fat-ik]

adjective

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

2. using emphasis in speech or action.

3. forceful; insistent.

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

   Synonyms: definite, unequivocal, decided, pronounced, forcible, energetic, positive
   Antonyms: weak

4. very impressive or significant; strongly marked; striking.

   the emphatic beauty of sunset.

5. clearly or boldly outlined.

   It stands, like a great, stone dagger, emphatic against the sky.

6. 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.

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

noun

1. an emphatic consonant.

emphatic

/ ɪmˈfætɪk /

adjective

1. expressed, spoken, or done with emphasis

2. forceful and positive; definite; direct

   an emphatic personality

3. sharp or clear in form, contour, or outline

4. important or significant; stressed

   the emphatic points in an argument

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

noun

1. phonetics an emphatic consonant, as used in Arabic

Other Word Forms

• emphatically adverb
• emphaticalness noun
• unemphatic adjective
• unemphatically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of emphatic¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of emphatic¹

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

Example Sentences

If Bellamy picked England to learn how his players would cope against world-class opposition, he got an emphatic answer at Wembley.

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Thomas Tuchel may have expressed public displeasure with England's fans after the emphatic Wembley win against Wales, but the performance of his players will have left him feeling only the warm glow of vindication.

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And this was a night where Howe's players showed they belonged at Europe's top table with an emphatic away win, the club's first in the competition since 2003.

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Even their most ardent fans though would not have expected victory by such an emphatic margin.

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But just five days after their stunning 304-2 against South Africa on a record-breaking night in Manchester, a much-changed England began their reply in emphatic fashion before Ireland battled back for some late wickets.

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Related Words

• assertive 
• categorical 
• confident 
• definite 
• definitive 
• energetic 
• explicit 
• forceful 
• impressive 
• pronounced 
• resounding 
• sober 
• sure 
• telling 
• unmistakable 
• vigorous