underplay
[ uhn-der-pley, uhn-der-pley ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈpleɪ, ˈʌn dərˌpleɪ /
verb (used with object)
to act (a part) sketchily.
to act subtly and restrainedly.
to understate or de-emphasize; downplay: The ambassador underplayed his role in the peace negotiations.
verb (used without object)
to leave out of one's acting all subtlety and enriching detail.
to achieve an effect in acting with a minimum of emphasis.
RELATED WORDS
lessen, reduce, decrease, underestimate, diminish, downplay, curtail, mute, minimize, soft-pedal, soften, belittle, deemphasize, derogate, dwarf, deprecate, prune, knock, attenuate, discount
Nearby words
- underpin,
- underpinning,
- underpinnings,
- underpitch vault,
- underplant,
- underplot,
- underpopulated,
- underpowered,
- underpraise,
- underprice
Origin of underplay
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for underplay
What she did need to worry about was trying to underplay her book in view of the attention it drew.
To say that this is an unusual moment would be to underplay how unique it really is.
Especially with a purple speech like that; you've simply got to learn to underplay.
My Fair Planet|Evelyn E. Smith
underplay
/ (ˌʌndəˈpleɪ) /
verb
to play (a role) with restraint or subtlety
to achieve (an effect) by deliberate lack of emphasis
(intr) cards to lead or follow suit with a lower card when holding a higher one
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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