highlighting

1. 1
   noununcountable

   Visual emphasis given to text by marking it with a bright color or tone.

   Heavy highlighting across every paragraph defeats the purpose of marking only the essentials.

   The reviewer praised the report's clean layout but criticized its inconsistent highlighting.

   Similarmarking, emphasis

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of highlight.

   Highlighting the budget shortfall, the report urged immediate cuts.

   The editor enjoys highlighting passages that need a second look.

   Note

   One spelling carries every sense of the verb: stressing a point, marking passages with a fluorescent pen, dyeing strands of hair, or catching someone's attention on IRC by naming them. Each of these is transitive, so the form normally takes a direct object, as in highlighting the risks or highlighting her hair. When it names a thing rather than an action, it has become the noun for marked text, which can even take a plural.

3. 3
   adjective

   Serving to emphasize or draw attention to something; revealing.

   His highlighting commentary drew attention to flaws that others had missed.

   The study took a highlighting stance, exposing patterns long buried in the data.

   Similarrevealing, illuminating, incisive, probing

   Note

   Unusually for an -ing word, it grades like an ordinary adjective. One lighting scheme can have a more highlighting effect than another, and a study can have its most highlighting part. It sits before the noun it describes, typically abstract nouns such as effect or part. The verb form takes an object instead (highlighting the risks), so a comparative is the surest sign the adjective is meant.

   Uplights have a more highlighting effect.

   The most highlighting part of the case study is research, collection and analysis of data.

4. 4
   noununcountable

   An area of skin or hair that contains lighter or brighter streaks and tones.

   The stylist recommended warm highlighting to brighten her face for the wedding.

   A touch of highlighting across the brow bone made her eyes look more open.

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