Definition of "emphatic" in English

adjective

1. Characterized by emphasis; forceful.

2. Stated with conviction.

   • He gave me an emphatic no when I asked him out.

3. (grammar) Belonging to a set of English tense forms comprising the auxiliary verb do plus an infinitive without to.

4. (phonology) Belonging to a series of obstruent consonants in several Afro-Asiatic languages that are distinguished by a guttural (co-)articulation.

5. (phonology, archaic except in layman’s use) Referring to the above consonants as well as /ħ/ and /ʕ/ (these being seen as emphatic equivalents of /h/ and /ʔ/).

noun

1. (phonology) An emphatic consonant.

2. (linguistics) A word or phrase adding emphasis, such as a lot or really.