Understate
/ʌndəˈsteɪt/ verb
verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay. transitive
"To call this decision a calculated bet understates the risk; it is a Hail Mary pass."
- 2 represent as less significant or important wordnet
- 3 To state (something) with an intentional lack of emphasis, in order to express irony. transitive
"She is the queen of understatement: she understated her critique masterfully."
- 4 To state a quantity that is too low.
"The company had been understating its liabilities for years."
Example
More examples"Brits tend to understate things."
Etymology
From under- + state.