emphasize
Other forms: emphasized; emphasizing; emphasizes
To emphasize is to make something important, or stress it, like when you were little and your parents would always emphasize the importance of looking both ways before crossing the street. They told you again and again and again. And again.
The verb emphasize works when you really want to stress a point or give extra weight to an issue. Emphasize comes from words that mean “significance” and “to present or show.” A player who finally makes the varsity team might emphasize this achievement by always wearing his practice jersey — even off the field, or you might emphasize the importance of being on time by locking the door on latecomers.
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stress or single out as important“Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet”synonyms: accent, accentuate, emphasise, punctuate, stresstypes:bear downpay special attention totopicalizeemphasize by putting heavy stress on or by moving to the front of the sentencepoint upemphasize, especially by identificationdrive home, press home, ram homemake clear by special emphasis and try to convince somebody of somethingpick uplift out or reflect from a backgroundwave offdismiss as insignificantforeground, highlight, play up, spotlightmove into the foreground to make more visible or prominentraisebring (a surface or a design) into relief and cause to projectsoft-pedalplay down or obscure
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give extra weight to (a communication)
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Vocabulary lists containing emphasize
How can you perform well on the reading section of the SAT if you don’t fully understand the language being used in the directions and in the questions? Learn this list of 25 words that are based on our analysis of the words likely to appear in question stems, answer options, and test directions. Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.
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Take the guesswork out of standardized tests by mastering the vocabulary you'll likely see in test directions and questions. Practicing these lists will help boost your comprehension and your confidence on test day — no matter what test you're preparing to take.