![]() Both meanings are in keeping with the word’s French roots, contre- (meaning "counter") and temps (meaning "time"). From the fencing bout contretemps slid gracefully onto the dance floor, a contretemps being a step danced on an unaccented beat. When contretemps first appeared in English in the 1600s, it did so in the context of (): a contretemps was a thrust or pass made at the wrong time, whether the wrongness of the time had to do with one’s lack of skill or an opponent’s proficiency. There are many schools of thought on how best to aid this process, but the main contretemps has been about whether kids need to be taught how to sound out words explicitly or whether, if you give them enough examples and time, they'll figure out the patterns." - Belinda Luscombe, Time, 11 Aug. "While reading is a foundational skill, it is not a natural one. There was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements during wedding planning. Jacqueline found herself in the middle of an embarrassing contretemps when her client suddenly changed his story and, ignoring her advice, spoke to reporters. It can also refer to a dispute or argument. The word contretemps refers to an inconvenient or embarrassing occurrence or situation. Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Mais: contretemps \KAHN-truh-tahn\ noun The word was initially used as a synonym of the verb () to mean “to pronounce with greater stress or force,” which is a small leap from today’s meaning of “to make something more noticeable to emphasize.” One excellent way to remember not only how to pronounce accentuate but also its etymological connection to song is the classic (and helpfully titled) tune “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, which has been performed by such () as Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. It comes from Latin accentus, meaning () (which itself comes in part from cantus, meaning “song”), and since the early 18th century, its meanings haven’t changed much. There’s no need to () out if you don’t know the word’s history, though its journey into the English language was very straightforward. When you accentuate something you put an “accent,” or emphasis, on it. “With a tunnel of light haloing her from the outside, Brittney Parks is dressed like a ‘90s vixen in baggy jeans and an understated crop top, hair down past her waist, with perfect accessories that accentuate her shine.” - Harmony Holiday, Pitchfork, 13 Dec. He likes to wear clothes that accentuate his muscular build. Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Mais: accentuate \ak-SEN-shu-wayt\ verbĪccentuate means “to make something more noticeable.”
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