transitive. Without (or with little) negative connotation: to add weight or intensity to; to strengthen, increase, or magnify. Now rare.

transitive. figurative. To give a distinctive force, sharpness, prominence, or intensity to; to make conspicuous; to emphasize, stress.

In various phrases. to lay weight upon: †to urge (a person) to do something (obsolete); to attach importance or value to.

transitive. = emphasize, v. Also occasionally intransitive.

figurative. To accentuate, emphasize (cf. circumflex, n. 1b).

Particular emphasis or insistence on something so as to call attention to it or assert its importance; special significance attached to a point…

to set home: to bring to bear closely upon; to enforce, emphasize. Obsolete.

To place in the fore-front, bring forward.

humorous. To accentuate strongly. Obsolete.

transitive. To point out, note or mention specially, draw attention to. Now rare.

to lay stress, weight, emphasis onor upon: to emphasize, bring into special prominence, attach great importance to.

transitive. To draw special attention to (a fact, quality, argument, statement, etc.), esp. in order to demonstrate particular importance or value…

transitive. figurative. To make more noticeable or prominent; to emphasize. Cf. accent, v. 2.

transitive. To give particular emphasis or importance to (a point, idea, detail, etc.); to emphasize. Frequently with that-clause as object. Cf. to la…

transitive. slang. To draw attention to or reiterate (something embarrassing or disagreeable), esp. in to rub it in. Cf. to rub a person's nose in it…

transitive. To pick out and draw attention to (something); to highlight, tease out.

figurative. To emphasize, esp. in utterance.

transitive. To give (esp. final) emphasis to; to accentuate.

transitive. To bring to a head; to bring to a peak or maximum; to accentuate.

figurative. To point up, to emphasize, to reinforce; = underline, v.2 1b.

transitive. To emphasize or draw attention to (a significant aspect of something); to make apparent.