Intonate: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in music or speech when describing the modulation or variation in pitch.

• The singer needs to intonate correctly to hit all the right notes.
• Teachers often intonate their speech to keep students' attention.

Commonly used in both speech and writing to show the importance or significance of something.

• In his speech, he emphasized the need for healthcare reform.
• The teacher emphasized the importance of doing homework.

Used to highlight something as important or critical; can also mean to exert pressure or experience anxiety.

• He stressed the importance of arriving on time.
• Don't stress too much about the exam.

Often used to highlight or make something more noticeable or prominent.

• The lighting was used to accentuate the features of the sculpture.
• She wore a belt to accentuate her waistline.

Typically used in musical or vocal settings to describe the act of singing or speaking in a harmonious pitch or tone.

• She intonated the hymn beautifully during the choir performance.
• The actor intonated his lines with great emotion.

Often used in both musical and non-musical contexts to talk about changing the pitch or tone to achieve a different effect or to adapt to a situation. Sometimes, it's used figuratively to mean adjusting one's attitude or manner.

• The singer modulated her voice to reach the high notes seamlessly.
• He had to modulate his speech to keep the audience engaged.

Used to describe the change in the form of a word (especially in grammar) to express different grammatical categories such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, and case.

• In Latin, verbs are heavily inflected to indicate tense and mood.
• The teacher explained how to inflect verbs in different tenses.

Commonly used in a wide range of settings to describe making changes or introducing differences. It has a broad application from everyday activities to technical descriptions.

• She likes to vary her workouts to avoid getting bored.
• The chef recommended varying the ingredients for a more interesting dish.