accent

plural accents

1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesA higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.

   In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.

   Synonyms: stress

2. countablefigurativelyuncountableEmphasis or importance in general.

   At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.

3. countableuncountablecommunicationsA mark used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress.
4. countableuncountablecommunicationsAny mark used in writing over letters, either in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked, or to distinguish homophones.

   The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent.

   1 more example

   California, like several other states, prohibits the use of diacritical marks or accents on official documents. That means no tilde (~), no accent grave (`), no umlaut (¨) and certainly no cedilla (¸).

   2015 April 11, Tovin Lapan, “California birth certificates and accents: O’Connor alright, Ramón and José is not”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2025

5. countableuncountableModulation of the voice in speaking; the manner of speaking or pronouncing; a peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice, expressing emotion; tone.

   The tender Accents of a Woman’s Cry ¶ Will paſs unheard, will unregarded die;

   1709, Mat[thew] Prior, “Celia to Damon”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 90

   3 more examples

   I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to 't.

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]

   And he repeated her words with such assurance of accent, such boastful pretence of amazement, that she could not help replying with quickness …

   1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume I, chapter 15

   Edmund White, John Mitzel, and David Goodstein, among others, have taken pains to distinguish two kinds of "liberation" envisioned by the members of our recently emerged movement: assimilation into the body politic — or a total restructuring of the sex-role system. The second path amounts to revolutionary subversion, but we hear little about it here, except in the accents of reproach: to the idea that gay people might be "pioneers in the area of relationship" and that "our greatest offering to civilization is the beauty of sexual freedom," McNaught responds: "Bunk!"

   1981 December 27, Rudy Kikel, “Still Angry, After All These Years”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 23, page 10

6. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.

   a foreign accent

   3 more examples

   a broad Irish accent

   a hint of a German accent

   a thick French accent

   1. countableinformalproscribedsometimesuncountablehuman sciencesA manner of pronunciation suggesting that the speaker is from a different region; a foreign accent.

      She spoke with a strong accent that betrayed her southern roots.

      5 more examples

      My professor's accent is so thick that it's difficult to understand her lectures.

      I was surprised to learn that he was an immigrant, as he spoke without any accent.

      They were all Middle Eastern types but spoke French without any accent.

      2015 November 14, Adam Gopnik, quoting Célia, “Terror Strikes in Paris”, in The New Yorker, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2022

      Growing up in the Rhondda and having a strong accent was never a problem for me and my voice never really stood out from the crowd.

      2016 June 8, Tyler Mears, “I used to hide my Valleys accent in case people thought I was less intelligent - which was completely stupid”, in WalesOnline, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2023

      It's really hard to get in an audition room when you have an accent. Rather than being treated as the other people, you are falling into a category of foreigners who can't really maintain the role.

      2018 January 24, Lakshine Sathiyanathan, Lisa Xing, quoting Mariya Miloshevych, “Why some people try to chip away at their accent”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 09 Dec 2022

   2. countableuncountablesign languageshuman sciencesA distinctive manner of producing a sign language, such as someone who does not normally use a certain sign language might have when using it.

      I believe I still retain some of my hearing accent when I use American Sign Language.

      2008, Jeremy Linn Brunson, The Practice and Organization of Sign Language, page 76

      1 more example

      Cheesesteaks, Peanut Chews, Tastykakes, oh yeah, the Liberty Bell — there's so much to love about Philadelphia, but one of the best things about the city of Brotherly Love is the accent. We're not talking about spoken English — we're talking about American Sign Language.

      2015 November 5, Nina Porzucki, The World, archived from the original on 07 Dec 2022

7. countableuncountableA word; a significant tone or sound.

   I heard my landlady's accents attuned to nervous civility, mingling with the mellow tones of a deep masculine voice,

   1895, Marie Corelli, The Sorrows of Satan: or The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire […], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, published 1896, →OCLC, page 20

8. countablepluralplural onlyuncountableusuallyExpressions in general; speech.

   Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear, / Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear.

   1697, Virgil, “Pastoral 3”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

9. countableuncountablecommunicationsStress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
10. countableuncountableentertainmentA regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
11. countableuncountableentertainmentA special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure.
12. countableuncountableentertainmentA mark used to represent this special emphasis.
13. countableuncountableentertainmentThe rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period.
14. countableuncountablemathematicsA prime symbol.
15. countableuncountableEmphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition; an emphasized detail, in particular a detail in sharp contrast to its surroundings.

    accent color

16. countableuncountableA very small gemstone set into a piece of jewellery.
17. archaiccountableuncountableUtterance.

present singular third person accents · participle present accenting · participle past accented · past accented

1. transitiveTo express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
2. transitiveTo mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
3. transitiveTo mark with written accents.