emphasise

emphasise — verb

1. to give special importance to something when you speak or write, so that other p

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give special importance to something when you speak or write, so that other people understand it matters and should be taken seriously

例句

During the staff meeting, Cyrus emphasised the need for better planning before the busy season.

emphasise + noun phrase: the need for [something]

The report emphasises that rising sea levels are already affecting coastal communities around the world.

emphasise + that-clause for stating an important fact

同義詞
  • stress

    more common in everyday spoken English; slightly less formal

  • highlight

    focuses on drawing attention to a detail rather than declaring it important

  • underline

    suggests reinforcing a point that has already been made

  • accentuate

    more formal and usually physical; overlaps more with sense 2

反義詞
  • play down

    to try to make something seem less important

  • understate

    to describe something as less important than it really is

文法句型

emphasise + noun phrase

emphasise + that-clause

emphasise + the importance/need/value of + noun

用法筆記

Common in academic writing and formal speech. Frequently paired with nouns such as ‘importance’, ‘need’, ‘value’, or ‘role’. The passive form ‘it should / must be emphasised that…’ is a standard rhetorical device in essays and reports.

常見錯誤

❌He emphasised the importance.
✅He emphasised the importance of careful planning.
💡When ‘importance’ is the object, add ‘of’ plus what is important.
❌She emphasised him to finish on time.
✅She emphasised that he needed to finish on time.
💡‘emphasise’ cannot take an infinitive object; use a that-clause or rephrase.
❌They emphasised on the need for change.
✅They emphasised the need for change.
💡‘emphasise’ is transitive and does not need a preposition after it.

2. to make a particular feature or part of something more noticeable, often through

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make a particular feature or part of something more noticeable, often through design, colour, sound, or physical contrast

例句

Folake wore a simple black dress that emphasised her elegant posture.

clothing + physical feature pattern

The gold frame emphasises the warm red tones in the painting.

同義詞
  • accentuate

    very similar, slightly more formal; common in fashion and design

  • highlight

    can refer to physical features but also abstract points; less specific to this sense

  • throw into relief

    idiomatic; suggests contrast makes something stand out

反義詞
  • disguise

    to hide or make less noticeable

  • conceal

    to keep something from being seen

文法句型

emphasise + noun

be emphasised by + noun

noun + emphasise + noun

用法筆記

This sense is about physical or sensory perception — colour, shape, sound, silence, behaviour — rather than argument or opinion. It is often used with an inanimate subject. ‘The dress emphasised her figure’ is fine; ‘The manager emphasised her figure’ would shift to sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The speech emphasised the problem of poverty.’ (if you mean make it visible)
✅The speech highlighted the problem of poverty.
💡This sense is for physical / sensory features, not arguments. For arguments, use sense 1.