emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfa-tik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

an emphatic refusal

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or to take decisive action

3

: attracting special attention

4

: constituting or belonging to a set of tense forms in English consisting of the auxiliary do followed by an infinitive without to that are used to facilitate rhetorical inversion or to emphasize something

emphatically

im-ˈfa-ti-k(ə-)lē 

em-

adverb

Synonyms

• aggressive
• vigorous
• violent
• forceful
• dynamic
• insistent
• energetic

Examples of emphatic in a Sentence

They were emphatic about their political differences.

the governor issued an emphatic denial of all charges

Recent Examples on the Web

Or will the Eagles, who lost some key defensive pieces this offseason but retain their top players on both sides of the ball, open the season with an emphatic NFC East win at home? —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

Several commenters expressed their support for him, saying emphatic no’s and doubling down on how funny the skit was. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 4 Sep. 2025

The luxe lounge set that earned Winfrey’s emphatic approval is also a wardrobe staple for thousands of other cozy-minded people—Travel + Leisure writers included. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025

Flamengo sent a message to the rest of the Brazilian title contenders, and to the teams that are still competing in the Copa Libertadores this season with this emphatic victory. —Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Late Latin; French emphatique "forcefully expressive," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin emphaticus, borrowed from Greek emphatikós "expressive, indicative," from empha-, stem in noun derivation of emphaínein "to exhibit, display, indicate" + -t-, verbal adjective formative + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at emphasis

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for emphatic

• asthmatic
• chromatic
• climatic
• dogmatic
• dramatic
• ecstatic
• erratic
• eustatic
• fanatic
• hepatic
• lymphatic
• magmatic

Kids Definition

emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfat-ik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or action

3

: attracting special attention

an emphatic design

emphatically

-ˈfat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb