downplay

verb
UK: /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/
US: /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/

  1. To make something seem less important or serious than it really is.

    1. He tried to downplay his role in the fight.
    2. The company is trying to downplay the environmental risks of the project to secure funding.

  2. To represent something as being smaller or less significant.

    1. The report downplays the importance of new technology.
    2. The government is trying to downplay the negative economic impact of the new policy.

Synonyms

play down understate soft-pedal de-emphasize minimize
downplay noun

  1. An attempt to minimize the significance of something.

    1. Her downplay of the event was unconvincing.
    2. The politician's downplay of the scandal did not fool the public, who demanded accountability.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "downplay" in English means: To make something seem less important or serious than it really is., To represent something as being smaller or less significant..

The phonetic transcription of "downplay" is /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/ in British English and /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "downplay": play down, understate, soft-pedal, de-emphasize, minimize.

Example usage of "downplay": "He tried to downplay his role in the fight.". More examples on the page.