understate

American  

[uhn-der-steyt] / ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt /

verb (used with object)

understated, understating

1. to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms.

   The casualty lists understate the extent of the disaster.

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understate British  

/ ˌʌndəˈsteɪt /

verb

1. to state (something) in restrained terms, often to obtain an ironic effect

2. to state that (something, such as a number) is less than it is

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Other Word Forms

• understatement
  noun

Etymology

Origin of understate

First recorded in 1815–25; under- + state

Explanation

One way to think about the verb understate is as the opposite of "exaggerate." If you want to make something seem smaller or less important than it really is, you're likely to understate it. If you don't want your grandmother to worry about you, you might be tempted to understate, or downplay, the trouble you've had finding a new job. Business owners might understate their financial problems when they're applying for a bank loan, and a new student might understate her experience speaking French so as not to embarrass her inept French teacher.

Example Sentences

They embodied the dictum of Stephen Fleming when he was captain of New Zealand: "Understate, overachieve."

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2014

Understate the lack and your fitness to fill it.

From Certain Success by Hawkins, Norval A.

Understate, un-dėr-stāt′, v.t. to state or represent under or below the truth.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Related Words

• downplay
• lessen
• minimize
• underrate
• undervalue