understate
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understate
- /ʌndəˈsteɪt/
verb understates · understating · understated
-
To state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.
To call this decision a calculated bet understates the risk; it is a Hail Mary pass.
Similar: downplay, trivialize, bagatellize, banalize, belittle, cut down, de-emphasize, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, derogate, disparage · Opposite: overstate, exaggerate, big up, cut it fat, hyperbolize, overcharge, overdo, overemphasize, play up, stretch, three-sheet
- To state (something) with an intentional lack of emphasis, in order to express irony. She is the queen of understatement: she understated her critique masterfully.
-
To state a quantity that is too low.
The company had been understating its liabilities for years.
Similar: underrate, misunderestimate, sell short, underapproximate, underestimate, underguess, underjudge, underreckon, understate · Opposite: overstate, overapproximate, overestimate, overhold, overrate, overreckon, overthink
Translations
Every language
verb to state something with less completeness than needed
| Español | subestimar, minimizar, infravalorar, frivolizar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 矮小化する waishōka suru |
| Deutsch | untertreiben |
| Русский | преуменьша́ть preumenʹšátʹ, занижать zanižatʹ, недооценивать nedoocenivatʹ |
Talk about this word "understate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/understate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. understate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/understate "understate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/understate.Cite this
@misc{understate_2026,
title = {understate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/understate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
