emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfa-tik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

an emphatic refusal

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or to take decisive action

3

: attracting special attention

4

: constituting or belonging to a set of tense forms in English consisting of the auxiliary do followed by an infinitive without to that are used to facilitate rhetorical inversion or to emphasize something

emphatically

im-ˈfa-ti-k(ə-)lē 

em-

adverb

Synonyms of emphatic

• aggressive
• vigorous
• violent
• forceful
• dynamic
• insistent
• energetic

Examples of emphatic in a Sentence

They were emphatic about their political differences.

the governor issued an emphatic denial of all charges

Recent Examples on the Web

Showrunner Ryan Condal, in comments last year, was emphatic that the series would conclude with Season 4, but there was no mention of that when HBO renewed it earlier today. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2025

This was expected from this group — motivated by a loss to the Vikings and playing a hobbled and below-average Commanders defense — but to do it in this manner was an emphatic flex of their muscles. —The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

But the 2015 international signing out of Venezuela never got his chance to reach the Fenway Park mound, despite emphatic praise from manager Alex Cora for Mata's performance in spring training this year. —Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

Even the climax of the film, when Bella confronts Edward about his vampire identity in the misty Washington forest, loses its dramatic edge thanks to Edward's emphatic rebuke of his predatory nature. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Late Latin; French emphatique "forcefully expressive," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin emphaticus, borrowed from Greek emphatikós "expressive, indicative," from empha-, stem in noun derivation of emphaínein "to exhibit, display, indicate" + -t-, verbal adjective formative + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at emphasis

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for emphatic

• asthmatic
• chromatic
• climatic
• dogmatic
• dramatic
• ecstatic
• erratic
• eustatic
• fanatic
• hepatic
• lymphatic
• magmatic

Kids Definition

emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfat-ik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or action

3

: attracting special attention

an emphatic design

emphatically

-ˈfat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb