The Opposite(Antonym) of “emphasise”
The antonyms of emphasise are downplay, understate, and de-emphasize. These antonyms convey the opposite meaning of emphasise, which is to reduce the significance or importance of something.
Explore all Antonyms of “emphasise”
- downplay
- understate
- de-emphasize
Definitions and Examples of downplay, understate, de-emphasize
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
To make something seem less important or significant than it really is.
Example
The company tried to downplay the negative impact of the product recall on its sales.
To describe something in a way that makes it seem less important or serious than it really is.
Example
She understated the amount of work she had done on the project, making it seem like it was no big deal.
de-emphasize
To reduce the emphasis or importance of something.
Example
The new policy de-emphasized the importance of attendance and focused more on performance.
Key Differences: downplay vs understate vs de-emphasize
- 1Downplay implies making something seem less important than it actually is, while understate implies describing something as less important than it really is.
- 2De-emphasize is similar to downplay but focuses more on reducing the emphasis or importance of something rather than making it seem less important.
Effective Usage of downplay, understate, de-emphasize
- 1In Business: Use these antonyms to describe the importance of projects, products, or services.
- 2In Academia: Use these antonyms to describe the significance of research findings or academic achievements.
- 3In Everyday Conversations: Use these antonyms to express disagreement or to clarify misunderstandings.
Remember this!
The antonyms of emphasise are downplay, understate, and de-emphasize. These words convey the opposite meaning of emphasise and can be used in various contexts such as business, academia, and everyday conversations. Use them to express disagreement, clarify misunderstandings, or describe the importance of something.
