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
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Suspecting that the bumbling local policeman, Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun, accentuating the goofiness), is wrong in his conclusion that George simply died of a heart attack, Lily rallies her fellow sheep to help solve the murder.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Another idea is to select a secondary color from the pattern and utilize your hat to accentuate that hue.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
This subwoofer will create a more immersive, detailed sound by amplifying the bass, letting your other speakers accentuate the highs and mids.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accentuate
verb
