diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/markdown_syntax_highlighter.py b/src/calibre/gui2/markdown_syntax_highlighter.py
index 2220c840d0..693f43d6b9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/markdown_syntax_highlighter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/markdown_syntax_highlighter.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class MarkdownHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
         "codeblock": {"color":"#ff5800", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
         "line": {"color":"#2aa198", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
         "html": {"color":"#c000c0", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
-        "entity": {"color":"#006496", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
+        "entity": {"color":"#006496"},
     }
 
     dark_theme =  {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class MarkdownHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
         "codeblock": {"color":"#ff9900", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
         "line": {"color":"#2aa198", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
         "html": {"color":"#f653a6", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
-        "entity": {"color":"#ff82ac", "font-weight":"normal", "font-style":"normal"},
+        "entity": {"color":"#ff82ac"},
     }
 
     def __init__(self, parent):
@@ -102,6 +102,16 @@ class MarkdownHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
         self.theme = theme
         self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT = {}
 
+        for k in ['Bold', 'Italic','BoldItalic']:
+            # generate dynamically keys and theme for EntityBold, EntityItalic, EntityBoldItalic
+            t = self.key_theme_maps[k]
+            newtheme = theme['entity'].copy()
+            newtheme.update(theme[t])
+            newthemekey = 'entity'+t
+            newmapkey = 'Entity'+k
+            theme[newthemekey] = newtheme
+            self.key_theme_maps[newmapkey] = newthemekey
+
         for k,t in self.key_theme_maps.items():
             subtheme = theme[t]
             format = QTextCharFormat()
@@ -304,7 +314,18 @@ class MarkdownHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
     def highlightEntity(self, text, cursor, bf):
         found = False
         for mo in re.finditer(self.MARKDOWN_KEYS_REGEX['Entity'],text):
-            self.setFormat(self.offset+ mo.start(), mo.end() - mo.start(), self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT['Entity'])
+            charformat = self.format(self.offset+ mo.start())
+            charbold = charformat.fontWeight() == QFont.Weight.Bold
+            charitalic = charformat.fontItalic()
+            if charbold and charitalic:
+                format = self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT['EntityBoldItalic']
+            elif charbold and not charitalic:
+                format = self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT['EntityBold']
+            elif not charbold and charitalic:
+                format = self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT['EntityItalic']
+            else:
+                format = self.MARKDOWN_KWS_FORMAT['Entity']
+            self.setFormat(self.offset+ mo.start(), mo.end() - mo.start(), format)
             found = True
         return found