accent meaning and definition

ACCENT noun

Definition of accent (noun)

1. distinctive manner of oral expression
   • "he couldn't suppress his contemptuous accent"; "she had a very clear speech pattern"
   • synonyms: speech pattern
2. 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"
   • synonyms: emphasis
3. the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
   • "the immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English"; "he has a strong German accent"; "it has been said that a language is a dialect with an army and navy"
   • synonyms: dialect, idiom
4. the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)
   • "he put the stress on the wrong syllable"
   • synonyms: emphasis, stress
5. a diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciation
   • synonyms: accent mark

ACCENT verb

Definition of accent (verb)

1. to stress, single out as important
   • "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
   • synonyms: accentuate, emphasise, emphasize, punctuate, stress
2. put stress on; utter with an accent
   • "In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
   • synonyms: accentuate, stress