accentuate meaning

The word ‘accentuate’ means to make something more noticeable or prominent.

accentuate :

to highlight, to emphasize

Verb

▪ She accentuated her positive traits during the interview.

▪ She highlighted her positive traits during the interview.

▪ The speaker accentuated the main points of the presentation.

▪ The speaker emphasized the main points of the presentation.

paraphrasing

▪ emphasize – to highlight

▪ highlight – to make noticeable

▪ underscore – to stress

▪ stress – to put importance on

accentuate

Pronunciation

accentuate [əkˈsen.tʃu.eɪt]

The stress is on the second syllable 'sen' and sounds like 'uhk-sen-choo-ate'.

Common phrases and grammar about accentuate

accentuate - Common meaning

Verb
to highlight, to emphasize

Part of Speech Changes for "accentuate"

▪ accentuation (noun) – the act of accentuating or emphasizing

▪ accentually (adverb) – in an accentuating manner

Common Expressions with "accentuate"

▪ accentuate a feature – to highlight a characteristic

▪ accentuate differences – to emphasize the differences

▪ accentuate strengths – to highlight strengths

▪ accentuate weaknesses – to emphasize weaknesses

Important examples of accentuate in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, accentuate is often used to mean to emphasize or highlight something.

▪The manager asked her to accentuate the key points in her presentation.
▪The manager asked her to highlight the key points in her presentation.

Example of a confusing word: accent (to pronounce with emphasis)

▪The manager asked her to accent the key points in her presentation.
▪The manager asked her to pronounce the key points with emphasis in her presentation.
"Accentuate" means "to emphasize" or "to make something more noticeable," and is used correctly in the context of focusing on key points. "Accent," while similar in form, means "to pronounce with emphasis" and is typically used in the context of speech or pronunciation. In the sentence "The manager asked her to accent the key points," the meaning shifts to pronunciation rather than emphasis on content, making it an incorrect choice for this context. Therefore, "accentuate" is the correct word to use.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC grammar questions, accentuate is used as a transitive verb and requires a direct object.

▪She was asked to accentuate her main arguments.
▪She was asked to emphasize her main arguments.

accentuate

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

accentuate one's role

to highlight someone's part or responsibility

▪In the meeting, he tried to accentuate his role in the project.
▪In the meeting, he tried to highlight his role in the project.

accentuate the positives

to emphasize the positive aspects

▪She decided to accentuate the positives during the discussion.
▪She decided to emphasize the positive aspects during the discussion.

Differences between similar words and accentuate

accentuate

,

emphasize

differences

Accentuate is used to make something more noticeable, while emphasize reinforces importance.

accentuate
▪She accentuated the importance of teamwork.
▪She emphasized the importance of teamwork.
emphasize
▪emphasize – she emphasized the importance of teamwork.
▪stress – she stressed the importance of teamwork.

accentuate

,

highlight

differences

Accentuate means to make something more noticeable, while highlight is to draw attention to it.

accentuate
▪She accentuated her eyes with makeup.
▪She drew attention to her eyes with makeup.
highlight
▪highlight – she highlighted her eyes with makeup.
▪She drew attention to her eyes with makeup.

Words with the same origin as accentuate

The origin of accentuate

Accentuate comes from the Latin 'accentuatus', meaning to add emphasis or stress.

Word structure

The word is composed of the prefix 'ac' (to), the root 'cent' (related to 'chant' or 'sing'), and the suffix 'uate'. Thus, accentuate means 'to add stress'.

Words with the same origin

The root of accentuate is 'accent'. Words with the same root include 'accent' and 'accentual'.

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