accent

1 of 2

noun

ac·​cent ˈak-ˌsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
 chiefly British  -sənt
1
: an effort in speech to stress one syllable over adjacent syllables
also : the stress thus given a syllable
a word with the accent on the second syllable
2
: a distinctive manner of expression: such as
a
: a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region
spoke with a Russian accent
b
: an individual's distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words
usually used in plural
3
: rhythmically significant stress on the syllables of a verse usually at regular intervals
4
a
: a mark (such as ´, `, ˆ) used in writing or printing to indicate a specific sound value, stress, or pitch, to distinguish words otherwise identically spelled, or to indicate that an ordinarily mute vowel should be pronounced
b
: an accented letter
5
music
a
: greater stress given to one musical tone than to its neighbors
6
a
: emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition
b
: an emphasized detail or area
especially : a small detail in sharp contrast with its surroundings
c
: a substance or object used for emphasis
a plant used as a decorative accent
7
: a mark placed to the right of a letter or number and usually slightly above it: such as
a
: a double prime
b
: prime
8
: special concern or attention : emphasis
an accent on youth
9
archaic : utterance entry 1
accentless adjective

accent

2 of 2

verb

ac·​cent ˈak-ˌsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
ak-ˈsent
accented; accenting; accents

transitive verb

1
: to give special attention or prominence to (something)
TV shows that accent youth
: to make (something) more emphatic, noticeable, or distinct
columns that accent the vertical lines of the building
2
a
: to pronounce (part of a word) with greater stress or force : stress
Accent the second syllable of the word "before."
b
: to mark with a written or printed accent

Examples of accent in a Sentence

Noun Regional accents are common in the U.S. She spoke with an American accent. The tourist had a foreign accent. He has a heavy southern accent. The word “before” has the accent on the last syllable. Put the accent on the first syllable of the word. The accents in the French word “émigré” show how the letter “e” should be pronounced. Verb the town's promotional literature accents its vital role in American history
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
While white was the predominant color scheme, accents of yellow, light green, and peach created a beautiful palette. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 Workers yelled above the din in various accents of Spanish. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Walsh even notes a rise in Irish accents in film, in parallel with Ireland’s rise as a shooting hub. Becky Lucas, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 For his part, Wade wore accents of black and white. Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 10 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, back in the ‘90s in Chile, I was treated differently for having lived in the U.S., and for fluently speaking English without an accent. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Like many Denver residents, Gomez was taken aback as the numbers of migrants swelled, hearing their Venezuelan accents on the street near her apartment. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 The pillow would look great added to throw pillows on your couch or as an accent on your bed. Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 That’s also why Butler mimicked Skarsgård’s speaking voice while crafting his own accent for Feyd-Rautha. Zack Sharf, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
The singer's look was topped off with a black hat accented with a mesh veil. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Rounding out release is Keds Triple Up platform sneaker that’s accented with Magnolia Bakery’s signature mint hue branding. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The co-ed collection opened with dark form-fitting military coats accented with golden buttons, suggesting discipline and rigor. Colleen Barry, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Get The Recipe 07 of 23 Bourbon Buttercream Fill and frost a layer cake with a rich buttercream frosting accented with bourbon. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024 Weave Peach Fuzz into the kitchen and primary dining spaces by choosing dish towels and drying mats with hints of the color accenting dark navy blue or yellow. Cameron Sullivan, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 The backless design, accented with a big bow, is a clever solution when dressing a mom-to-be. Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 This soup is accented by the juice of one lemon, so digging out a citrus juicer will ensure no seeds fly into the pot. Nick Siano, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024 The interiors are accented, however, with plants and greenery in many rooms — a lively design choice that both matches and accentuates the property’s sizable grounds, which include a stucco-roof pool house and an alleé of olive trees. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "modulation of the voice," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "modulation of the voice, prominence in pitch on a given syllable," going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin accentus (loan translation of Greek prosōidía), from ad- ad- + cantus "song," action noun derivative of canere "to sing" — more at chant entry 1, prosody

Note: The word occurs in Old English as accent in the sense "accent mark" in Byrhtferth's Enchiridion, but there is no continuity between this and later uses.

Verb

borrowed from Middle French accenter "to pronounce with greater stress," in part derivative of accent accent entry 1, in part borrowed from Medieval Latin accentāre, variant of accentuāre — more at accentuate

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of accent was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near accent

Cite this Entry

“Accent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accent

1 of 2 noun
ac·​cent ˈak-ˌsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
1
: a way of talking shared by a group (as the people of a country)
2
: greater stress or force given to a syllable of a word in speaking
before has the accent on the last syllable
3
: a mark (as ´, `, or ˆ accents) identifying a syllable that is stressed in speaking
4
: greater stress given to a beat in music
5
: an emphasized detail used for contrast

accent

2 of 2 verb
ac·​cent ak-ˈsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
ˈak-ˌsent
1
: to make more noticeable : emphasize
2
a
: to say with an accent : stress
b
: to mark with a written or printed accent

More from Merriam-Webster on accent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!