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Glite Dictionary
rhetorical accent

rhetorical accent

7.8
A way of speaking that puts extra stress on certain words or tones to make a point
  • noun
  • /rɪˈtɔrɪkəl ˈæksɛnt/
translation icon : acento retórico
  • The speaker used rhetorical accent to highlight important parts of his message.

Examples

  • Her skillful use of rhetorical accent made her arguments more persuasive.

  • The speaker used a strong rhetorical accent to emphasize key points.

  • Good orators often rely on rhetorical accent for dramatic effect during speeches.

  • Can you identify the rhetorical accent in her speech?

  • Good orators often rely on rhetorical accent for dramatic effect during speeches.

  • Her skillful use of rhetorical accent made her arguments more persuasive.

  • The speaker used rhetorical accent to highlight important parts of his message.

Synonyms

emphasis
vsrhetorical accent
  • Specialized
14 3.7

Stress that makes a syllable or musical note stronger

is used in spoken lines to highlight words for clarity or effect
accentuation
vsrhetorical accent
  • Specialized
6.7

Putting extra stress on one syllable or word when speaking

is a focused vocal stress used to clarify or add dramatic effect
accenting
vsrhetorical accent
5.3

To give more attention to one part to make it stand out

is used on specific speech tones or words to improve clarity

Antonyms

monotone
2 5.8

Said or sung in the same tone without change

How Emphatic

rhetorical accent
7.8
emphasis
296 3.1

Surface Forms

rhetorical accent singular
rhetorical accents plural

Morphology

rhetorical + accent

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'rhetorical' (pertaining to persuasive or stylistic language) with 'accent' (emphasis). This composition — an emphasis used for rhetorical effect — follows regular English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Rhetorical accent comes from the image of a speaker giving extra stress to a word, like putting an accent on it with their voice. So, it means using tone or stress 'to emphasize' part of a message and make it clearer.