emphatic
gb/ɛmfˈætɪk/ us/ɛmfˈætɪk/
B2
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
strongly and clearly expressed
said or done in a very strong and clear way to show that you really mean it or that it is very important
Usage pattern:
to be emphatic that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "emphatic" with "empathetic". "Emphatic" means strong and clear in expression; "empathetic" means able to understand and share another person’s feelings. Another mistake is using the wrong preposition: you usually say "emphatic that [clause]" or "emphatic about [something]", not "*emphatic on" in most contexts.
Synonyms
forceful (stresses strong, powerful expression; can sound slightly more aggressive than "emphatic".)
|
insistent (focuses on not giving up or repeating a point, while "emphatic" focuses on the strength and clarity of the expression.)
Antonyms
hesitant (suggests someone is unsure or not speaking strongly, the opposite of speaking in an emphatic way.)
|
weak (a weak statement or response lacks the strength and certainty that an emphatic one has.)
Collocations
an emphatic no
|emphatic victory
|emphatic denial
|emphatic statement
|be emphatic that
|emphatic gesture
Themes
communication
|emotions
|opinions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She gave an emphatic no when asked if she would resign.
- The coach was emphatic that the team had to work harder on defense.
- He made an emphatic point about the need for honesty in politics.
- The team recorded an emphatic victory, winning 5–0.
- Her emphatic gesture left no doubt that the discussion was over.
Learner examples
- He gave an emphatic no to the question.
- My teacher was emphatic that the exam would be difficult.
- They had an emphatic win in the final game.
- She made an emphatic point about being on time.
- The manager was emphatic that safety comes first.
adjective
technical
C2
property
2
phonetic term for special consonants
used in linguistics for some consonant sounds that are made with a special tight movement in the throat or glottis, different from the regular sound
Usage pattern:
emphatic [consonant/sound/stop]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this "emphatic" means simply "strong" or "loud" like in everyday English. In phonetics, it refers to a special way of making a consonant in the throat or glottis, not just speaking more strongly.
Synonyms
pharyngealized (a more precise phonetic term for consonants made with constriction of the pharynx; overlaps with many emphatic consonants but is more specific.)
|
glottalized (refers to consonants produced with a glottal closure or constriction; overlaps with some uses of "emphatic" but is not identical in all language descriptions.)
Antonyms
plain (in phonetics, a "plain" consonant lacks the extra throat or glottal constriction that characterizes an emphatic consonant.)
|
non-emphatic (direct technical opposite, used in descriptions of consonant sets where some are marked as emphatic and others as non-emphatic.)
Collocations
emphatic consonant
|emphatic stop
|emphatic series
|non-emphatic consonant
|emphatic phoneme
Themes
linguistics
|phonetics
|academia
|science
|education
|communication
Examples
- In Arabic, the consonant /tˤ/ is classified as an emphatic consonant.
- The study compares the acoustic properties of emphatic and non-emphatic stops in Modern Hebrew.
- Students often struggle to distinguish the emphatic series from the plain dental consonants.
- The language has three pairs of emphatic and non-emphatic coronal phonemes.
- Emphatic consonants typically involve a secondary articulation in the pharyngeal region.
Learner examples
- In Arabic, some consonants are called emphatic consonants.
- The teacher showed us how an emphatic consonant sounds different from a plain one.
- Linguists often write a special symbol for an emphatic stop.
- The book describes the history of emphatic consonants in this language.
- We listened to recordings of emphatic and non-emphatic consonants.
Grammar
Dictionary form
emphatic
IPA
GB/ɛmfˈætɪk/
US/ɛmfˈætɪk/
Syllables & stress
em - phat - ic (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (phat)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: emphatic
Word family
Core family
Related words
overemphasize
verb C1
overemphasis
noun
Negative and opposite forms
de-emphasize
verb
de-emphasis
noun
Expressions
an emphatic no
1/ən ɛmfˈætɪk nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
very strong and clear refusal
a very clear and strong "no" with no doubt or softness
Examples
- When they offered to cut his pay, his answer was an emphatic no.
- Parents gave an emphatic no to the idea of larger class sizes.
- Asked if she would run for office again, she gave an emphatic no.
be emphatic that
1/bˈi ɛmfˈætɪk ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
state something very firmly
to say very clearly and strongly that something is true or must happen
Examples
- The doctor was emphatic that he should stop smoking immediately.
- Officials were emphatic that there was no danger to the public.
- She was emphatic that the deadline could not be moved.
emphatic denial
1/ɛmfˈætɪk dɪnˈaɪəl/
fixed phrase
very strong rejection or refusal
a very strong and clear statement that something is not true
Examples
- The minister issued an emphatic denial of any wrongdoing.
- Despite his emphatic denial, many people still doubted his story.
- Her emphatic denial ended the rumors for a while.
emphatic victory
1/ɛmfˈætɪk vˈɪktɚi/
fixed phrase
clear and decisive win
a win that is very clear and easy to see, usually with a big score difference
Examples
- The team secured an emphatic victory, winning 4–0 away from home.
- Polls show the party is heading for an emphatic victory in the election.
- It was an emphatic victory that silenced their critics.