What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
trivialising
Example
Stop trivialising my feelings, they are important to me. [trivialising: verb]
Example
The politician was accused of trivialising the impact of climate change on future generations. [trivialising: gerund or present participle]
downplaying
Example
The company is downplaying the severity of the data breach. [downplaying: verb]
Example
She was accused of downplaying the risks associated with the new drug. [downplaying: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Downplaying is more commonly used than trivialising in everyday language. Downplaying is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while trivialising is less common and is typically used in informal contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between trivialising and downplaying?
While both trivialising and downplaying can be used in informal contexts, downplaying is more versatile and can be employed in various formality levels, allowing it to be used in both formal and informal contexts.