1. (

• emphasis ,
• accent

) 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" ;

2. (

• vehemence ,
• emphasis

) intensity or forcefulness of expression; "the vehemence of his denial"; "his emphasis on civil rights" ;

3. (

• emphasis ,

) special and significant stress by means of position or repetition e.g. ;

4. (

• stress ,
• emphasis ,
• accent

) the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch); "he put the stress on the wrong syllable" ;