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to foreground

to foreground

2 5.8
To make something more noticeable or important
  • verb
  • /ˈfɔrɡraʊnd/
translation icon : destacar
  • In addition, the field began to address concerns foregrounded by the cultural turn within the social sciences at large.
  • foreground the text
  • novel foregrounds
  • foreground the social

Like, I rarely give a bunch of background before I've indicated what the foregrounded story is.

Examples

  • Dialogue exchanges contest a narrator's authority by foregrounding competing social experiences and alternative ethical values.

    Academic text (2017)
  • I'm just going back into the brown shade just to bring that back to the foreground because it kind of got lost.

  • So it's a choice on Nabokov's part to foreground the question of judgment from moment one.

  • The articles made subtle changes to the slogan to foreground the emergency.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Participating teachers incorporated picture books that foregrounded environmental and multicultural themes into their practice.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Barone states that educational storysharing should foreground essential dilemmas and "persuade readers to contribute answers."

    Academic text (2013)
  • Simon's self-conscious and farcical treatment of the New York theater industry foregrounds this ambiguous relationship.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Hurston suspends the certainty of reference not by erasing differences but by foregrounding the complex dynamism of their interaction.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • To emphasize the importance of environmental issues, the teacher decided to foreground climate change in her lessons.

  • The marketing campaign aimed to foreground the brand's commitment to sustainability by showcasing eco-friendly practices.

Synonyms

to feature
vsto foreground
748 3.1

To include something and make it seem important

aims to increase prominence in attention rather than merely listing parts
to emphasize
vsto foreground
  • US
397 3.7

To show that something is very important

aims specifically to make something prominent in attention or consideration
to highlight
vsto foreground
340 3.3

To emphasize something so it stands out as important

focuses on making items prominent in attention or consideration
to spotlight
vsto foreground
13 4.0

To make a person or thing noticed by people

makes things prominent in attention without implying public display
to play up
vsto foreground
9 4.3

Make something seem more important or impressive than it is

increases prominence in attention without exaggerating the truth or degree
to set off
vsto foreground
7 3.7

To make something stand out against its background

creates prominence in attention but not always through contrasting surroundings
to point up
vsto foreground
3 4.7

Make something stand out as important

works to raise an item's prominence in attention rather than just noting it
to surface the main issue
vsto foreground
5.6

Point out the most important problem in a discussion

makes something prominent in attention more generally, not only the main problem

Antonyms

59 5.3

Show something as less important or serious than it is

Compounds

foreground processing
  • Specialized
5.1

Computer tasks that run first and interact directly with the user

How Prominent

to spotlight
13 4.0
to accentuate
27 6.0
to emphasize
  • US
397 3.7
to foreground
2 5.8
to highlight
340 3.3
to note
951 1.6
to mention
1.0

Surface Forms

foreground infinitive
foregrounded past participle
foregrounding present participle
foregrounds third person singular

Etymology

Foreground as a verb is made from fore- meaning 'front' and ground meaning 'base'. It means to put an idea or thing at the front of attention, so people notice it more.