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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
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 10 May 2025
The last attendee to arrive at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday evening, the star wore a pinstripe Marc Jacobs ensemble, accentuating her baby bump, with a polkadot cravat and oversized hat.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
The June 2024 post, which featured Amurri's strapless gown on full display, led many users to criticize how the dress accentuated Amurri's chest.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Unlike skinny jeans, which accentuate every curve, flares play with proportions.
—René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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