Underscore

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. To emphasize or highlight the importance of something through deliberate attention or repetition
2. To draw attention to a specific point or idea by marking it distinctly or highlighting it in a meaningful way
3. To stress a significant element of something by making it stand out clearly or by providing notable emphasis

Etymology: The verb "underscore" has a literal origin that is easy to picture: to draw a line beneath a word. Writers and printers marked text this way to show emphasis, and the practice of ruling a stroke under a passage long predates the modern word. The name is built from "under" and "score," where "score" in the sense of a mark or line made by cutting or drawing is the older part of the compound. The figurative sense, to stress or emphasise something, grew naturally out of that physical act. A line drawn beneath a passage calls the eye to it, so the mark came to stand for any deliberate drawing of attention to a key point. The noun is the same word used for the stroke itself, a line placed beneath text, and it carries the same idea of marking something as important.

Synonyms: underline, emphasize, highlight

Antonyms: downplay, ignore