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
Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Not only does this get rid of the trendy, retail look and feel, but honestly, vintage pieces are sometimes made with higher quality and do a better job of accentuating your space.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 13 Jan. 2026
The additional instrumentation accentuates the mood as much as adding muscle.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 13 Jan. 2026
Other pieces that accentuated Queen Mathilde’s monochrome attire included a navy scarf and matching gloves.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accentuate
Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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accentuate
verb
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