understated
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of understated
First recorded in 1935–40; understate + -ed 2
Explanation
Anything that's understated avoids extra decoration or embellishment, like your best friend's understated prom dress, which is somehow more elegant and classic than anyone else's outfit. If your decorating style includes loud colors, lots of knick knacks, big chandeliers, and extra pillows everywhere, nobody is going to describe it as understated. Use this adjective for a restrained, tasteful, and simple style, like your grandma's perfectly understated string of pearls or an actor's beautifully understated interpretation of Hamlet.
Vocabulary lists containing understated
Finally Heard
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Keeping Pace
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Legendary Frybread Drive-In
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A record-long government shutdown last fall prevented the Bureau of Labor Statistics from collecting accurate information on rents, leading to a situation in which price increases were temporarily understated.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
If Vuori is understated and Wilson is elegant, Nike brings pure, raw energy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
Traditionally, Louisvillians have preferred to keep their real estate understated at home, even while investing heavily on vacation homes elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
When a large component such as housing is understated, the resulting inflation number can fail to capture the cost pressures that households such as Parker’s or Spiel’s actually experience.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
And indeed the overriding emotion of American Tune’ is an understated patriotism that is characterised not by cynicism but rather by gratitude.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
