understate
gb/ˈʌndɚstˌeɪt/ us/ˈʌndɚstˌeɪt/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
present as less serious
to make something seem less big, important, serious, or impressive than it really is
Patrón de uso:
understate [something]; understate how/what/that...
Error frecuente:
Do not usually say “understate about something”; use a direct object: “understate the problem.”
Sinónimos
downplay (often suggests deliberately making something seem less important or serious)
|
minimize (emphasizes making the size or seriousness seem smaller)
|
play down (common and slightly less formal, especially in news or everyday speech)
Antónimos
overstate (to describe something as greater or more important than it really is)
|
exaggerate (to make something seem larger, better, worse, or more extreme than it is)
Colocaciones
grossly understate
|seriously understate
|deliberately understate
|tend to understate
|understate the problem
|understate the risk
|understate the cost
|understate the impact
|understate the importance
|understate how difficult
Temas
communication
|evaluation
|business
|media
Ejemplos
- The report understates the impact of the cuts on rural hospitals.
- She did not want to alarm them, so she understated the risks.
- Calling the project challenging would understate how difficult it was.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The article understates the problem.
- I think you are understating the cost.
Verbo
C1
action
2
present with restraint
to show or express something in a quiet, subtle way, not in a strong or obvious way
Patrón de uso:
understate [an effect/feature/emotion/scene]
Error frecuente:
This meaning is less common as a verb; the adjective “understated” is often used for clothes, design, and style.
Sinónimos
restrain (emphasizes control and lack of excess)
|
tone down (means to make something less strong or noticeable)
|
mute (often used for colors, sounds, or visual effects made softer or less intense)
Antónimos
emphasize (to give something special importance or make it stand out)
|
highlight (to draw attention to something)
|
overplay (to perform or present something too strongly)
Colocaciones
deliberately understate
|understate the emotion
|understate the drama
|understate the humor
|understate a scene
|understate the violence
|understate the branding
|understate the design
Temas
style
|art
|fashion
|design
|entertainment
Ejemplos
- The film understates the violence, which makes the story feel more realistic.
- The designer understated the branding, using only a small logo on the sleeve.
- Good actors often understate strong emotion rather than spelling it out.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The room understates luxury.
- The actor understated the sadness in the scene.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
understate
AFI
GB/ˈʌndɚstˌeɪt/
US/ˈʌndɚstˌeɪt/
Sílabas y acento
un - der - state (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (un)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: understate
- 3rd Person Singular: understates
- Present Participle: understating
- Past: understated
Expresiones
understate the case
1/ˈʌndɚstˌeɪt ðə kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
describe too mildly
to say something too weakly for the real situation
Ejemplos
- To say the launch was successful would understate the case; it changed the whole market.
- Calling the delay inconvenient understates the case—it cost the company millions.
- The team was tired, but that understates the case: they had been working for thirty-six hours.