Word.ws English Dictionary

to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing

to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing proverb: emphasize excessively and nothing will stand out.

Proverb

to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing

  1. Emphasize excessively and nothing will stand out.
    • The temptation is constantly to tresspass upon the domain of Elocution, and indicate beforehand all particular emphasis; moreover, to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing.1886, John Scott Clark, chapter V, in A Practical Rhetoric for Instruction in English Composition and Revision in College and Intermediate Schools, New York: Henry Holt and Company, page 27

Origin of to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing

Perhaps coined by American liberal arts professor John Scott Clark (see quote 1886) but more likely to be traditional. Used with many variations.

Questions about to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing

What does to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing mean?
To emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing means emphasize excessively and nothing will stand out.
What part of speech is to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing?
To emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing is a proverb.

Words near to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing in the dictionary

  1. to die for
  2. to distraction
  3. to do with
  4. to each his own
  5. to each their own
  6. to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing
  7. to err is human
  8. to err is human; to forgive, divine
  9. to excess
  10. to go
  11. to God

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: to emphasize everything is to emphasize nothing (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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