Dictionary

accentuate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ækˈsɛn.t͡ʃuˌeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /əkˈsɛn.t͡ʃu.eɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n- Proto-Indo-European *kh₂néti Proto-Italic *kanō Latin canō Latin accinō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus ▲ Ancient Greek προσῳδῐ́ᾱ (prosōidĭ́ā)calq. Latin accentus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin accentuō Medieval Latin accentuātusbor. English accentuate First attested in 1731; borrowed from Medieval Latin accentuātus, perfect passive participle of accentuō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin accentus. accent + -u- + -ate.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To pronounce with an accent or vocal stress.
2. (transitive) To bring out distinctly; to make more noticeable or prominent; to emphasize.
   • Soft girl makeup, as the name suggests is a pastel, sweet style that focuses on accentuating natural features with a signature element being blush and faux freckles. 2022 November 14, Vaishnavi Maloth, “Popular Makeup Aesthetics to Follow”, in Tulip, volume 13, number 5, page 66:
   • Attempts by Waterloo signalmen to clear the points by power operation eventually exhausted point motor batteries, which are fed by trickle chargers, and a blown fuse accentuated the problem; thus, even when the points had been cleared of ice, no power was available to operate them until the batteries were sufficiently recharged. 1962 March 14, “The New Year Freeze-up on British Railways”, in Modern Railways, page 159:
   • Several digital effects are supported by Deck, ranging from a digital equalizer, which lets you accentuate or attenuate certain frequencies, to a stereoizer, which processes a mono- phonic recording to simulate stereo. 1991, Macworld, volume 8, PC World Communications:
   • These were business hours, and a feeling of loneliness crept over him, perhaps germinated by his sight of the illustrated papers, and accentuated by an attempted perusal of them. 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
   • our danger and insolation only accentuated the incompatibility 1898, H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds/Book 2/Chapter 3:
   • Eating meat does not conform to God's original intention, and resorting to carnivorism merely accentuates an unattractive part of human nature. 2004, Mark H Bernstein, Without A Tear, University of Illinois, published 2004, page 67:
3. (transitive) To mark with a written accent.

Forms

Deriveds

overaccentuate · unaccentuated · reaccentuate · accentuator · misaccentuate · accentuable

Relateds

accentuation · accentual

Synonyms

betone · accent

Translations (87)

it accentuare (to bring out distinctly) · de betonen (to bring out distinctly) · pl uwydatnić (to bring out distinctly) · no aksentuere (to mark with a written accent) · lb accentuéieren (to bring out distinctly) · be акцэнтава́ць (to pronounce with an accent) · ru поста́вить ударе́ние (to mark with a written accent) · pl akcentować (to bring out distinctly) · no aksentuere (to bring out distinctly) · pl podkreślać (to bring out distinctly) · es acentuar (to bring out distinctly) · sv accentuera (to mark with a written accent) · pl uwypuklać (to bring out distinctly) · pl akcentować (to mark with a written accent) · it accentare (to mark with a written accent) · bg акцентирам (to bring out distinctly) · sh istàknuti (to bring out distinctly) · ca accentuar (to pronounce with an accent) · fa تأکید کردن (to bring out distinctly) · es acentuar (to mark with a written accent) · it accentuare (to pronounce with an accent) · de akzentuieren (to bring out distinctly) · fi sävyttää (to pronounce with an accent) · pl podkreślić (to bring out distinctly) · eo akcenti (to pronounce with an accent) · ru акценти́ровать (to pronounce with an accent) · sv betona (to pronounce with an accent) · mk нагла́сува (to pronounce with an accent) · ru ста́вить ударе́ние (to mark with a written accent) · pl akcentować (to pronounce with an accent) · sv accentuera (to pronounce with an accent) · es acentuar (to pronounce with an accent) · pt acentuar (to pronounce with an accent) · bg акцентувам (to pronounce with an accent) · nl accentueren (to pronounce with an accent) · no betone (to pronounce with an accent) · uk акцентува́ти (to pronounce with an accent) · no framheve (to bring out distinctly) · tr vurgulamak (to pronounce with an accent) · sv accentuera (to bring out distinctly) · lv uzsvērt (to pronounce with an accent) · fr accentuer (to mark with a written accent) · hy շեշտել (to pronounce with an accent) · pt acentuar (to mark with a written accent) · ru проста́вить ударе́ние (to mark with a written accent) · mk акценти́ра (to mark with a written accent) · lv akcentēt (to bring out distinctly) · bg поставям ударение (to mark with a written accent) · uk наголо́шувати (to pronounce with an accent) · bg поставям ударение (to pronounce with an accent) · uk наголоси́ти (to pronounce with an accent) · fr accentuer (to pronounce with an accent) · lv uzsvērt (to bring out distinctly) · lv akcentēt (to pronounce with an accent) · ca accentuar (to bring out distinctly) · de hervorheben (to mark with a written accent) · fr accentuer (to bring out distinctly) · nl benadrukken (to bring out distinctly) · ru поста́вить ударе́ние (to pronounce with an accent) · sv betona (to bring out distinctly) · fi merkitä aksentit (to mark with a written accent) · pt acentuar (to bring out distinctly) · no aksentuere (to pronounce with an accent) · fi painottaa (to pronounce with an accent) · sl naglasiti (to pronounce with an accent) · fi tehostaa (to bring out distinctly) · de akzentuieren (to pronounce with an accent) · no betone (to bring out distinctly) · nl beklemtonen (to mark with a written accent) · ca accentuar (to mark with a written accent) · bg подчертавам (to bring out distinctly) · nl beklemtonen (to bring out distinctly) · fi tuoda esiin (to bring out distinctly) · sh naglásiti (to bring out distinctly) · fi korostaa (to pronounce with an accent) · ru проставля́ть ударе́ние (to mark with a written accent) · hy շեշտել (to mark with a written accent) · fi korostaa (to bring out distinctly) · ga aiceannaigh (to pronounce with an accent) · pl uwydatniać (to bring out distinctly) · mk акценти́ра (to pronounce with an accent) · pl uwypuklić (to bring out distinctly) · ro accentua (to bring out distinctly) · ro accentua (to pronounce with an accent) · ro accentua (to mark with a written accent) · nl beklemtonen (to pronounce with an accent) · ru ста́вить ударе́ние (to pronounce with an accent)