emphasizev.
/ˈɛmfəsʌɪz/, U.S. /ˈɛmfəˌsaɪz/ 1.
a. transitive. To put stress on (a word, syllable, etc.) in speaking; to represent stress in (written language) by the use of italics, underlining, or similar.
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1765 J. Rice Introd. Art of Reading ii. 128 The Monosyllable I, in the last Line but one.., is made short, though it be strongly emphasized.
1790 Amer. Museum Dec. 288/1 Let them pronounce, accentuate, and emphasize every word in poetry as they do in prose.
1861 J. Angus Handbk. Eng. Tongue 219 These ‘Shalls’ are sometimes wrongly emphasized.
1877 Notes & Queries 27 Oct. 333/1 It is full of verbal quibbles, emphasized with italics, and it abounds in rancorous personal abuse.
1907 J. London in Cosmopolitan July 263/1 A flat car..is known among the fraternity as a ‘gondola’, with the second syllable emphasized and pronounced long.
1977 T. A. G. Hungerford Wong Chu & Queen's Letterbox 25 ‘The Chows.’ She emphasised the word, long discarded I imagine,..in a way which whisked me straight to my boyhood in South Perth.
2001 D. H. Childress Lost Cities & Anc. Myst. S. Amer. (ed. 10) viii. 178 ‘The cheap residentials are down here,’ he grinned, emphasizing the word, ‘cheap’.
b. transitive. To add force or intensity to (speech, arguments, actions, etc.).
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the world > relative properties > quantity > increase in quantity, amount, or degree > [verb (transitive)] > increase in strength or force
afforce1425
forcec1430
reforcec1450
fortify1470
reinforcec1485
stiffen?a1500
strengthen1548
toughen1582
invigorate1646
hardena1677
recruit1678
emphasize1800
bastion1822
beef1941
1800 G. Richards Accepted of Multitude of his Brethren 12 When solemn silence emphasized the Soldier's sad, pathetic, fond adieu.
1845 C. Dickens Cricket on Hearth iii. 130 This philanthropic wish, Miss Slowboy emphasized [printed emphasied] with various new raps and kicks at the door.
1865 E. B. Tylor Res. Early Hist. Mankind iii. 44 Gesticulation goes along with speech to..emphasize it.
1869 F. A. G. Ouseley Treat. Counterpoint xix. 156 When the change to the tonic, or dominant..is emphasized..by a longer note than the rest.
1935 J. Steinbeck Tortilla Flat xiv. 250 Jesus Maria looked sharply into his friends' eyes to emphasize his point.
1968 W. S. Allen Vox Graeca v. 103 The usually tenser articulation of voiceless plosives might also tend to emphasize the crescendo.
2000 S. Broughton et al. World Music: Rough Guide II. i. 220/1 There is also a steady pulse, occasionally emphasised by male rhythmic grunting.
2. transitive. To draw special attention to (a fact, quality, argument, statement, etc.), esp. in order to demonstrate particular importance or value; to highlight, make prominent. Also: to make (a physical feature) more defined or apparent. Also with clause as object.Sometimes with admixture of sense 1b.
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the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [verb (transitive)] > attach importance to > render outstanding
aggravate1549
accent1595
to lay weight upon1600
emphase1631
circumflect1643
to lay (also place, put) stress on (also upon)1653
to set home1656
forestall1657
circumflex1661
signalize1698
to lay stress, weight, emphasis on or upon1748
emphasize1793
accentuate1817
stress1845
to rub in1851
to draw out1855
underline1880
punctuate1883
peak1887
underscore1891
to point up1926
1793 G. Richards Declar. Independence 12 Come, solemn silence, emphasize their mighty due!
1796 J. Dennie Lay Preacher 101 That ‘kind charity’ which the Apostle emphasizes, with that genuine, disinterested civility.
1842 W. M. Thackeray Confessions George Fitz-Boodle in Fraser's Mag. June 715/2 My conversion made some noise.., being emphasised as it were by this fact.
1882 W. D. Howells in Longman's Mag. 1 45 The spruces and firs..emphasise the nakedness of all the other trees.
1928 A. Huxley Point Counter Point iv. 59 A black dress emphasized the whiteness of her arms and shoulders.
1940 Women's Wear Daily 9 Feb. 22 We wish to emphasize the following additional points: First, that [etc.].
1945 Sun (Baltimore) 30 Nov. 1/3 He emphasized that the need was felt for a closer integration.
1999 A. Chambers Postcards from No Man's Land (2004) 247 One was a podgy woman, her girth emphasized by her belt.
2004 Daily Tel. 27 Sept. 8/1 Wealthy Athenians emphasised their status by buying magnificently decorated kraters made by the finest craftsmen of the day.
2010 K. D. Vuic Officer, Nurse, Woman i. 14 The Red Cross..emphasized the importance of patriotic duty in advertisement slogans such as ‘You are needed now. Join the Army Nurse Corps.’
Derivatives
ˈemphasized adj.
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the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > given importance
inaccentuated1716
accented1729
emphasized1799
accentuated1817
stressed1824
1799 F. Lathom Men & Manners III. xvi. 90 I may tend to enlighten whatever passages..may be obscure, by my well emphasized diction.
1855 W. A. Nicholls Nat. Drawing Master 8 The production of emphasized strokes.
1918 J. Sully My Life & Friends x. 199 His [sc. Shaw's] strongly emphasized supermanity struck harshly upon our Hampstead self-complacency.
2011 G. Hoffer Music Listening Today (ed. 4) xi. 90 [The] ev- of forever..is the emphasized syllable in that word.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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