downplaying
Making seem smaller
Downplaying is minimizing the significance or severity of something.
You downplay bad news to avoid alarm, downplay your own achievements out of modesty, or downplay a scandal to protect your reputation.
Officials downplayed the health risks.
She downplayed her role in the project's success.
The opposite is playing something up.
Diminishing perceived significance
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
- underplayingDeliberately understating something
- deemphasizingReducing prominence or attention
- understatingRepresenting as less significant
discounting · soft-pedaling · belittling · reducing · lessening · whitewashing · sugarcoating · marginalizing
Understatement via negation
- meiosisGamete-producing cell division
- understatementIntentional diminishment for effect
- euphemismMild substitute for bluntness
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
qualifying · softening · equivocating · vague · indirect · oblique · circumlocution · muted
Deliberately not considering
- ignoringDeliberately not noticing
- overlookingFailing to see or consider
- neglectingFailing to attend to
- snubbingPointedly ignoring someone
scoffing · eye-rolling · condescending · patronizing · contemptuous · disdainful · nonchalant · cavalier
Unassuming about oneself
- self-effacingDownplaying one's own importance
- unassumingNot making claims
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
- demureModestly reserved in manner
reserved · low-key · unpretentious · modest · self-deprecating · bashful · reticent · meek
Socially sensitive and careful
- measuredCarefully considered, unhurried
- circumspectCarefully considering consequences
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- carefulExercising caution and attention
restrained · guarded · cautious · politic · discreet · sensitive · judicious · prudent
Turning from original path
- divertingAgreeably attention-stealing
- redirectingSending elsewhere
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- evadingSkillfully keeping away from
obscuring · distracting · spinning · reframing · misdirecting · burying · concealing · masking
trivializing
Diminishing perceived significance
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
- underplayingDeliberately understating something
- deemphasizingReducing prominence or attention
understating · discounting · soft-pedaling · belittling · reducing · lessening · whitewashing · sugarcoating · marginalizing · sidelining
litotes
Understatement via negation
- meiosisGamete-producing cell division
- understatementIntentional diminishment for effect
- euphemismMild substitute for bluntness
hedging · qualifying · softening · equivocating · vague · indirect · oblique · circumlocution · muted
disregarding
Deliberately not considering
- ignoringDeliberately not noticing
- overlookingFailing to see or consider
- neglectingFailing to attend to
snubbing · scoffing · eye-rolling · condescending · patronizing · contemptuous · disdainful · nonchalant · cavalier · blasé
humble
Unassuming about oneself
- self-effacingDownplaying one's own importance
- unassumingNot making claims
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
demure · reserved · low-key · unpretentious · modest · self-deprecating · bashful · reticent · meek · subdued
tactful
Socially sensitive and careful
- measuredCarefully considered, unhurried
- circumspectCarefully considering consequences
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
careful · restrained · guarded · cautious · politic · discreet · sensitive · judicious · prudent · gentle
deflecting
Turning from original path
- divertingAgreeably attention-stealing
- redirectingSending elsewhere
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
evading · obscuring · distracting · spinning · reframing · misdirecting · burying · concealing · masking · veiling
- downplayingminimizing, trivializing, belittling, soft-pedal, dismissing
- self-deprecationself-mockery, self-effacement, self-criticism, deprecation, humble brag
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- dismissive behaviorssnub, scorn, ignore, disdain, dismissal
- evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, dodging
- excusesexcuse, not my fault, overslept, alibi, excuses
downplayingexaggerating
Overstating for effect
overstating · playing up · magnifying · amplifying · inflating
downplayinghighlighting
Emphasizing key parts
spotlighting · emphasizing · accentuating · underscoring · foregrounding
play, display, player, playful, playing, played, plays, playfully, replay