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
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 2 Dec. 2025
Riding on 15-inch wheels sporting Firestone redline tires, the vehicle accentuates its definitive body styling with a Le Mans Blue paint scheme complemented by a convertible black fabric roof.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 29 Nov. 2025
For the face, Xu starts by using the OneSize Beauty Point Made highlighter to accentuate the eyes, then applies Patrick Ta Major Headlines Blush to add a touch of color to the cheeks and under the eyes.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 26 Nov. 2025
Queen Maxima coordinated her pointed-toe pumps with her dress and added a pair of green earrings to accentuate the primary color choice of the look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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