Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [uhn-der-steyt]
- /ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt/
- /ˌʌn.dəˈsteɪt/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [uhn-der-steyt]
- /ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt/
Definitions of understate word
- verb with object understate 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. 1
- verb understate If you understate something, you describe it in a way that suggests that it is less important or serious than it really is. 0
- verb understate to state (something) in restrained terms, often to obtain an ironic effect 0
- verb understate to state that (something, such as a number) is less than it is 0
- verb transitive understate to make a weaker statement of than is warranted by truth, accuracy, or importance; state too weakly 0
- verb transitive understate to state, express, etc. in a style that is restrained and often makes use of irony or litotes 0
Information block about the term
Origin of understate
First appearance:
before 1815 One of the 39% newest English words
First recorded in 1815-25; under- + state
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Understate
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
understate popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 71% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 61% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
understate usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for understate
verb understate
- de-emphasize — to remove emphasis from
- deemphasize — to place less emphasis upon; reduce in importance, size, scope, etc.: The university de-emphasized intercollegiate football.
Antonyms for understate
verb understate
- caricaturing — a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.
- headlining — a heading in a newspaper for any written material, sometimes for an illustration, to indicate subject matter, set in larger type than that of the copy and containing one or more words and lines and often several banks.
- highlighted — to emphasize or make prominent.
- highlighting — to emphasize or make prominent.
- lay it on thick — to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down: to lay a book on a desk.
See also
Matching words
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- Words starting with understate