ACCENTUATE

ac·cen·tu·ate

(verb)

DEFINITION:

Utter with an accent.

To stress or emphasize.

To stress, single out as important.

Make more noticeable or prominent.

To pronounce with a stress or accent.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

Accentuate the natural curves and muscles.

His jacket unfortunately accentuated his paunch.

Accentuate differences among the three states.

Regulators need to counterbalance the cycle, not accentuate it.

Most people mentally accentuate their partners' better qualities.

Carla used red ribbons to accentuate the coppery tones in her hair.

You can accentuate each line with an eyebrow pencil and literally draw anger.

Her job was to accentuate the dancers' ability to reveal new spaces around them.

Yaged said he will be looking at opportunities in the digital space to accentuate storytelling.

ETYMOLOGY:

1731, from Medieval Latin accentuatus, past participle of accentuare "to accent," from Latin acce

ntus (see accent (n.)). Originally "to pronounce with an accent;" meaning "emphasize" is record

ed from 1865.

You've got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

 

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

["Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," 1944, music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Johnny Me

rcer]Don't mess with Mister In-Between

["Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," 1944, music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Johnny Me

rcer]

SYNONYMS:

 

 highlight, stress , emphasize, feature, intensify.