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
Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
This was accentuated by their immoderate use of black, putting the accent on cut and proportion.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Dec. 2025
The Glistening, Bronze, and Fairy shades can all be used to accentuate the high planes of the face.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
The operation accentuates mounting geopolitical tensions in the Caribbean basin.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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