Did you know?
When you accentuate something you put an “accent,” or emphasis, on it. There’s no need to stress out if you don’t know the word’s history, though; its journey into the English language was very straightforward. It comes from Latin accentus, meaning “accent” (which itself comes in part from cantus, meaning “song”), and since the early 18th century, its meanings haven’t changed much. The word was initially used as a synonym of the verb accent to mean “to pronounce with greater stress or force,” which is a small leap from today’s meaning of “to make something more noticeable; to emphasize.” One excellent way to remember not only how to pronounce accentuate but also its etymological connection to song is the classic (and helpfully titled) tune “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, which has been performed by such luminaries as Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.
Examples of accentuate in a Sentence
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
The gown draped across her body to accentuate her figure, while the back of the dress dipped beneath her left shoulder to create a low-back detail.
—Starr Bowenbank, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Pair some dark brown boots with tall black socks and a chunky belt (or two) to accentuate the color contrast.
—Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
Related Stories The ghostly feeling was accentuated by the fact that Weems couldn’t interact with anyone except the defiant Wednesday and her lifelong enemy Morticia.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accentuate
Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accentuate
verb
Share