understates
Says less than
Understates means to represent something as smaller, less significant, or less extreme than it actually is.
If someone says the hurricane "caused some damage" when it flattened a town, they're understating the destruction.
Understatement can be intentional—for modesty, irony, or rhetorical effect—or simply inaccurate: To say she was upset understates how furious she really was.
De-emphasizes significance of
- diminishesBecomes smaller or weaker
- de-emphasizesReduces focus on
- underplaysDeliberately de-emphasizes something
- soft-pedalsDeliberately minimizes significance
plays down · glosses over · trivializes · underestimates · underrates · undervalues · discounts · belittles
Ability to restrain impulses
- moderationAvoidance of excess
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
- reserveSupply kept back
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
composure · measured · controlled · forbearance · prudence · stoicism · sobriety · circumspection
Having fine distinctions
- implicitUnderstood without being stated
- indirectNot straight or immediate
- subtleNot immediately obvious
- restrainedHeld under control
muted · low-key · gentle · delicate · quiet · soft · toned-down · subdued
Downplaying one's own importance
- unassumingNot making claims
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- unpretentiousLacking false superiority
- modestLacking in pretension
reserved · demure · meek · down-to-earth · simple · plain · unostentatious · unobtrusive
downplays
De-emphasizes significance of
- diminishesBecomes smaller or weaker
- de-emphasizesReduces focus on
- underplaysDeliberately de-emphasizes something
soft-pedals · plays down · glosses over · trivializes · underestimates · underrates · undervalues · discounts · belittles · brushes aside
self-control
Ability to restrain impulses
- moderationAvoidance of excess
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
- reserveSupply kept back
discipline · composure · measured · controlled · forbearance · prudence · stoicism · sobriety · circumspection · caution
nuanced
Having fine distinctions
- implicitUnderstood without being stated
- indirectNot straight or immediate
- subtleNot immediately obvious
restrained · muted · low-key · gentle · delicate · quiet · soft · toned-down · subdued · hinted
self-effacing
Downplaying one's own importance
- unassumingNot making claims
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- unpretentiousLacking false superiority
modest · reserved · demure · meek · down-to-earth · simple · plain · unostentatious · unobtrusive · inconspicuous
understatesoverstates
Represents as greater than reality
exaggerates · inflates · magnifies · embellishes · hyperbolizes
understatesdramatizes
Exaggerates for effect
sensationalizes · emphasizes · plays up · hypes · trumpets