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
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Her wispy curtain bangs were also accentuated at the front, grazing her temples.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
While Project Castor had a Bannenberg & Rowell interior (and was the first in the series to have a new layout accentuating the interior volume), Heesen engaged Luca Dini Design & Architecture to create Project Venus’ interior.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
This hairstyle is often used to accentuate and frame the face, highlighting one’s natural features.
—Essence, 21 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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accentuate
verb
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