Meaning & Definition of Accent in English
English⟶
Accent
/əksɛnt/
noun
1. Distinctive manner of oral expression
- "He couldn't suppress his contemptuous accent"
- "She had a very clear speech pattern"
synonym:
- accent,
- 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"
synonym:
- emphasis,
- accent
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"
synonym:
- dialect,
- idiom,
- accent
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"
synonym:
- stress,
- emphasis,
- accent
5. A diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciation
synonym:
- accent,
- accent mark
verb
1. To stress, single out as important
- "Dr. jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
synonym:
- stress,
- emphasize,
- emphasise,
- punctuate,
- accent,
- accentuate
2. Put stress on
- Utter with an accent
- "In farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
synonym:
- stress,
- accent,
- accentuate
Examples of using
He spoke with an American accent.
Police have advised that the man who stole the bike spoke with a strong accent.
He spoke slowly, with a strong Texas accent.