emphasized
/ˈem.fə.saɪz/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɛmfəsˌaɪzd] /ˈem.fə.saɪz/ (ame, ipa)
emphasized — verb
- emphasizedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- emphasizeds3rd person singular
- emphasizeding-ing form
- emphasizededpast simple
1. told other people clearly that a particular fact, idea, or feeling really matter
told other people clearly that a particular fact, idea, or feeling really matters, so they would pay attention to it and not overlook it.
Eric emphasized the safety rules before letting the children climb the rock wall.
emphasize + noun phrase (safety rules)
The judge emphasized that lying under oath would lead to serious legal trouble for Dahlia.
emphasize + that-clause
During the team meeting, Anong emphasized how late delivery had upset two key clients.
Both candidates emphasized affordable housing throughout the city debate.
Bao emphasized the need for clean water in his speech to the village council.
- stressed
very close in meaning; slightly more neutral and common in spoken English
- highlighted
implies drawing attention by picking the point out from others
- underlined
more written or formal; common in journalism and reports
- underscored
formal; often used in news writing to mean 'made very clear'
- downplayed
to deliberately make something seem less important
- understated
to describe something as smaller or less serious than it really is
文法句型
emphasize + noun phrase
emphasize + that-clause
emphasize + how/why/what-clause
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a that-clause or a wh-clause when the speaker is stressing a fact, reason, or condition. Subject is typically a person who is speaking or writing (a teacher, official, author, report).
常見錯誤
2. made a physical feature, shape, or contrast stand out so other people noticed it
made a physical feature, shape, or contrast stand out so other people noticed it straight away, often by adding something like clothing, lighting, or design.
Vivek wore a thin black belt that emphasized his narrow waist in the wedding photos.
emphasize + body feature; clothing as the cause
The yellow paint on the kitchen door emphasized the dark wood floor beside it.
non-human subject (paint) emphasizes a visual contrast
Soft side lighting emphasized the shape of Élise's cheekbones in the portrait.
Yara cut her hair short to emphasize her long, slender neck.
- accentuated
very close synonym; common in fashion and beauty writing
- highlighted
general; works for both visual and informational meanings
- showed off
informal; often suggests the person wanted others to admire the feature
文法句型
emphasize + noun phrase (physical feature, contrast, shape)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is visual or physical — the subject is often clothing, lighting, paint, or a design choice, and the object is a body part, shape, or visible contrast, not a fact or argument.