English Dictionary |
UNDERSTATE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
IPA (US): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does understate mean?
• UNDERSTATE (verb)
The verb UNDERSTATE has 1 sense:
1. represent as less significant or important
Familiarity information: UNDERSTATE used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Conjugation: |
Past simple: understated
Past participle: understated
-ing form: understating
Sense 1
Meaning:
Represent as less significant or important
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
downplay; minimise; minimize; understate
Hypernyms (to "understate" is one way to...):
inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "understate"):
trivialise; trivialize (make trivial or insignificant)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Antonym:
overstate (to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth)
Derivation:
understatement (a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said)
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