WordValeunderstate
to present as less than it is
In more detail
1. (verb) to describe something as being less important, serious, or impressive than it actually is
2. (verb) to say something in a quiet or restrained way without much emotion or emphasis
Examples
- 1. The company understated the severity of the problem in its report.
- 2. He tends to understate his achievements, never bragging about his success.
How to use understate
Understate is used when someone intentionally presents something as less significant, dramatic, or impressive than it truly is, often for rhetorical effect or modesty. It differs from downplay in being more deliberate and controlled; it differs from minimize in suggesting a measured, often literary or formal tone rather than dismissal. The second sense, meaning to express something without emphasis, appears most commonly in the adjective form 'understated' (an understated performance).
Common phrases
- understate the case
- understate the problem
- understate the importance
- understate one's abilities
- deliberately understate
Synonyms
downplay · minimize · underemphasize · play down · soft-pedal
Opposites
exaggerate · overstate · overemphasize
Word family
understated (adjective) · understatement (noun) · understatedly (adverb)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse understate with underestimate; understate is about describing or presenting something as less important, while underestimate means to assess something as having less value or significance than it actually has.
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