EMPHASIS

vehemence, emphasis

(noun) intensity or forcefulness of expression; “the vehemence of his denial”; “his emphasis on civil rights”

stress, emphasis, accent

(noun) the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch); “he put the stress on the wrong syllable”

emphasis

(noun) special and significant stress by means of position or repetition e.g.

emphasis, accent

(noun) special importance or significance; “the red light gave the central figure increased emphasis”; “the room was decorated in shades of grey with distinctive red accents”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

emphasis (countable and uncountable, plural emphases)

Special weight or forcefulness given to something considered important.

Special attention or prominence given to something.

Prominence given to a syllable or words, by raising the voice or printing in italic or underlined type.

(phonology) The phonetic or phonological feature that distinguishes emphatic consonants from other consonants.

(typography) The use of boldface.

Anagrams

• misshape

Source: Wiktionary

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Em"pha*sis, n.; pl. Emphases. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. In, and Phase.]

1. (Rhet.)

Definition: A particular stress of utterance, or force of voice, given in reading and speaking to one or more words whose signification the speaker intends to impress specially upon his audience. The province of emphasis is so much more important than accent, that the customary seat of the latter is changed, when the claims of emphasis require it. E. Porter.

2. A peculiar impressiveness of expression or weight of thought; vivid representation, enforcing assent; as, to dwell on a subject with great emphasis. External objects stand before us . . . in all the life and emphasis of extension, figure, and color. Sir W. Hamilton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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