trivialize

American  

[triv-ee-uh-lahyz] / ˈtrɪv i əˌlaɪz /

especially British, trivialise

verb (used with object)

trivialized, trivializing

1. to make trivial; cause to appear unimportant, trifling, etc.

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trivialize British  

/ ˈtrɪvɪəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to cause to seem trivial or more trivial; minimize

   he trivialized his injuries

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Usage

What does trivialize mean? Trivialize means to cause something to appear unimportant or insignificant, as in Gabe tried to trivialize the D he got in math, but his parents still grounded him.Trivialize is a verb form of the adjective trivial. It’s often used by the person being trivialized, rather than by the person doing the trivializing.Example: Do not trivialize the effort that was put into my project.

Other Word Forms

• trivialization noun

Etymology

Origin of trivialize

First recorded in 1840–50; trivial + -ize

Example Sentences

Cobb didn’t find much to read about menopause, beyond shoddy research and medical tracts which trivialized or pathologized what she knew to be a natural phase of life.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some Chinese commentators have warned against trivializing the war for the sake of reaching new audiences.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s trivializing what you think money and class is, which led to this one, “Upper Classy.”

From Los Angeles Times

L.A. is frequently seen as a place of destruction, where the past is bulldozed and forgotten and then trivialized and romanticized.

From Los Angeles Times

But critics say pairing it with footage of deportations trivializes a serious and often traumatic process.

From Salon

Related Words

• depreciate
• dismiss
• laugh off
• make light of
• minimize
• misprize
• play down
• pooh-pooh
• underestimate
• underplay
• underrate
• undervalue